Returning home, Sekai found her mother, Yoko, still absent. Alone in the living room, she sat in silence, replaying the memories of their life together—and then the answer she had received from Haruto earlier.
"Why... why does it have to be Mom...?"
She couldn't understand. There were so many men in the world—why did her mother have to target him? From what she knew of Haruto, he was always occupied with his own affairs and had no prior connection to Yoko. There was no way he had initiated this.
Yet, she also couldn't comprehend why her mother, with no prior ties to him, would so easily choose to pursue him.
Dazed, she sank deeper into the couch, her thoughts a chaotic swirl. Then, fragments of Haruto's words and Setsuna's eerily calm reaction resurfaced in her mind. Her eyes sharpened with sudden realization, her brows knitting together.
This wasn't just about her.
Judging from Haruto's response and the way she and Setsuna had analyzed the situation earlier, it seemed that Setsuna's mother—Kiyoura Mai—was also involved.
Remembering Setsuna's composed expression in Haruto's apartment, Sekai's emotions grew even more tangled.
She suddenly felt like she didn't truly know her longtime friend. How could Setsuna remain so calm after learning something like this? A chilling suspicion crept into her mind, but she refused to believe it.
If it was true… if Mai had been involved with Haruto long before, and Setsuna had known all along—even encouraging Sekai to join them—
A shudder ran down her spine.
She could no longer grasp what Setsuna was thinking. Lost in confusion, she slumped back into the couch, her mind blank.
_ _ _ _
After changing, Yoko stood before the mirror, gazing at her flushed cheeks. Even now, she could hardly believe she had actually seduced a boy more than a decade younger than her—and with Mai, no less.
She had always joked about it, but it had only been an outlet for her pent-up emotions. Never had she imagined she'd really go after a younger man—and succeed so effortlessly.
Raising a hand, she lightly traced her fingers along her smooth, supple skin, then pressed her lips together, a bewitching smile forming.
Her heart raced.
Closing her eyes, she could still vividly recall every moment in that hotel room. The thrill was intoxicating—she could barely restrain herself.
"I wonder when Sekai will find out... but... I think I'm getting addicted."
After a moment, she steadied herself and headed to the restaurant, burying the memories of Haruto and that morning deep in her mind.
But when she returned home that evening—
"I have something I want to talk to you about."
Just as she stepped in from the entrance, having taken off her shoes and slipped on her indoor slippers over black stockings, Yoko was about to head to her room with her bag in hand. But before she could even put it down, Sekai—who had been sitting in the brightly lit living room for who knows how long—stood up and looked at her.
Yoko, whose heart was still pounding from the thrill of secretly being involved with her daughter's "boyfriend," was startled when Sekai suddenly called out to her. Her gaze shifted toward the living room, where her daughter stood, and for a moment, she froze.
Her eyes flickered, her thoughts spun briefly, and she quickly realized what Sekai probably wanted to talk about.
The two rarely had deep conversations—usually just brief updates before going off to do their own things. So when her daughter suddenly asked to talk seriously, and considering everything that had happened over the past two days, it wasn't hard for Yoko to guess what this might be about.
"This is rare. It's been a long time since you asked for something like this. We really haven't had a proper conversation in ages. Every day we just go about our own business. As your mother, I can't help but feel a bit lonely. If you're willing to sit down and really talk, I'd be more than happy."
With a soft smile, Yoko looked at Sekai without a hint of panic. She stopped heading toward her room, turned around, and walked back to the living room. She placed her bag on the table and took a seat across from her daughter.
"Go ahead, sit down. I don't know what you want to talk about, but it just so happens that I have something I want to discuss with you too."
"...It's something important."
"Same here. It's been years—just the two of us living together. When you were little, I didn't have the time or energy to think about anything else. But now that you've grown up and entered high school, you can handle your life on your own. So, I think it's time I started living my own life too."
Before Sekai could get her words out, Yoko had already launched into a long speech. Sekai sat quietly, listening to her mother's words, slowly beginning to understand the message behind them:
—"I've taken care of you for so long, and I've put everything else on hold. Now that you're grown up, it's time for me to focus on myself."
But exactly what "focusing on myself" meant was still unclear.
Sekai's expression turned complicated. She sat silently on the couch, just about to speak, but Yoko quickly interrupted again, watching her daughter's lips part slightly.
"I—"
"I'm planning to start dating again. It's been more than ten years. If I keep ignoring my own happiness, I'll just end up old and alone. The thought of reaching old age and dying in solitude terrifies me. So, Sekai, now that you're old enough, I think you should consider moving out and living on your own. I want some privacy too. If I do get married, and that person becomes your stepfather, I don't want it to be awkward for you."
"There are cases where a man starts dating the mother just to get close to the daughter, right? So for both of our sakes, it might be better if you moved out."
Sekai was left speechless. She had come into the living room intending to confront her mother about her relationship with Haruto, but Yoko's sudden barrage of statements completely blindsided her.
"Move… out?"
"It's not that I'm dissatisfied with you. This is just what's best for both of us. If I bring the man I like home, it'll be uncomfortable for you. And there's no guarantee you'll accept him. So I think this is a good solution."
Yoko gently touched her own cheek, gazing seriously at her daughter as if she were carefully considering Sekai's well-being.
Sekai had been struggling with how to talk to her mother about Haruto, but now all of that had been overshadowed by this shock. Her thoughts were scrambled, her mind unable to process what was happening.
"Isn't asking me to move out all of a sudden kind of crazy?"
"It's sudden, yes. But Sekai, you're not a child anymore. One day, we were going to go our separate ways. Who knows when you'll get married. What—were you planning to stay with me until I'm a wrinkled old lady marrying another wrinkled old man?"
"I…"
"Even if I'm not as young as you, I still like younger men. I want to experience sweet, youthful love too."
"…"
Sekai sat quietly in her room, feeling more lost than ever. Looking at her mother, she let out a heavy sigh.
"About Haruto…"
"Ah, Haruto—your boyfriend? I actually talked about him with Mai the other day. Funny enough, her daughter's boyfriend is apparently also named Haruto. A bit strange, don't you think?"
Yoko spoke with a smile, but her words hit Sekai like a bombshell, completely destroying what little composure she had left.
Sekai sat motionless on the couch, staring at her mother. She didn't know how to respond or how to explain the situation anymore. She shut her eyes, her expression pained and defeated.
"Setsuna… she wasn't being honest either, was she?"
"I…"
Overwhelmed and emotionally drained, Sekai had completely given up. She couldn't even form a proper answer anymore—her mind was a chaotic mess.
_ _ _ _
"Yesterday… you didn't come to school."
"Did something happen that you're concerned about?"
The girl looked at the boy in front of her in silence. Her eyes locked onto his for a moment before she turned and walked away. Haruto watched her go, resting his chin on one hand, before turning his gaze toward the window.
"You're back already?"
Aoi was surprised to see Eriri back in her seat so soon. She glanced at Haruto, who was still staring out the window, then turned back, falling into a brief silence.
"He doesn't want to talk to me, so what's the point in standing there awkwardly?"
Looking at Eriri's sullen expression—tinged with a strange mix of frustration and bitterness—Aoi wasn't sure what to say. Ever since school started, there hadn't been any progress between the two.
"That won't do. If you like someone, you need to—"
"Aoi, do you have someone you like?"
"...Not at the moment. Why?"
Faced with Eriri's question, Aoi blushed and looked away.
"There are lots of people in class who like you, but making someone who doesn't feel the same way fall for you… that's not easy, is it?"
"Of course not."
"Then… want to give it a try?"
"Huh?"
Aoi was caught off guard. She followed Eriri's gaze toward Haruto, who sat silently in his seat. Her face froze with an awkward expression, and she quickly shook her head.
"Forget it. Miyamizu-kun… isn't my type."
"Hmm~"
Eriri only hummed in response, offering no further comment. As for Aoi, even after her firm denial, she couldn't help sneaking another glance at Haruto before returning to chatting with Eriri.
By lunchtime, there was still no sign of Rio Futaba. Even after sending a message, all Haruto saw was the status change from "unread" to "read"—with no reply. Judging by how she was avoiding him, it was clear something serious had happened. It had all been so sudden, he couldn't even guess what had driven her to act so recklessly.
"No word from Rio?"
"She's been taking time off school. Said she's preparing for an event."
"Her address?"
Koharu sent the address to Haruto's email without hesitation. Looking at him, she sighed and stepped closer—then smack!—she stomped lightly on his foot with hers.
Feeling the light sting from her dainty step, he looked down at her legs, then up at her cute, annoyed face. Smiling, he picked her up into his arms.
"Cherish me a little more, will you? Every time it's about some other girl, you come running to me. Don't you think that's a bit much?"
"Sorry, sorry. But you're the only one I can turn to for this kind of thing… right?"
"Even if you say that… it doesn't make me happy."
As he held her slender body close, Haruto wrapped his arms around her waist. Through her thin school uniform, he felt her warmth and subtle scent—like a soothing aroma. It relaxed him.
He liked Koharu. Not in a romantic way, but simply because she was irresistibly cute.