Maybe it was the excitement of the upcoming long break, something to be happy about, but even the usually composed and elegant atmosphere of Tsukinomori Girls' Academy was buzzing with an unusual liveliness today.
Sitting at her desk, Soyo Nagasaki rested her soft chin in her hands. A faint glint of sharpness flickered in her intelligent, light blue eyes as she looked down through the window.
"…It should be about time."
She murmured to herself, her tone layered with meaning.
Picking up the bag she had already packed in advance, Soyo kept her usual gentle and warm smile. After exchanging polite farewells with her fellow upper-class classmates, she made her way straight toward the school's Gardening club.
Her heart was beating faster now, and her steps quickened without her realizing it.
Maybe she was thinking about something unpleasant—her expression gradually darkened.
"Good day, Soyo-chan~"
"Good day, Soyorin~"
But the moment someone greeted her, that gentle look instantly returned to her face.
As she brushed past her friend, the smile slowly faded again. Taking a deep breath, Soyo Nagasaki stepped into the Gardening club room.
Tsukinomori's Gardening club didn't have many members.
But every day, there was always a small figure in light green, carefully tending to the delicate cucumber seedlings with bent back. Even if her face showed no emotion, her meticulous movements revealed her seriousness. Soyo's lips curled into a smile as she clasped her hands behind her and quietly walked over.
"Mutsumi, need a hand?"
"…Soyo."
Mutsumi Wakaba, still tending to the seedlings, paused and looked over at her unexpected visitor. She didn't seem particularly surprised, just gave a small nod in acknowledgment.
Soyo smoothly grabbed a small blue watering can from the shelf, filled it with fresh water, and gently handed it to Mutsumi.
The quiet girl simply murmured, "Thanks," before turning her focus back to the cucumbers in front of her.
"You seem to be in a pretty good mood today, Mutsumi."
"Did something good happen, maybe?"
Soyo leaned casually against the wall, her smile soft and carefree.
It sounded like a harmless, friendly question, but for a moment, Mutsumi's hand froze mid-watering. The next second, she resumed as though nothing had happened.
"…Nothing happened."
Her voice was calm and detached as she shook her head lightly.
But she was lying and she knew it.
Mutsumi's mood was genuinely good today—no, not just today. She had been in a great mood for a while now. Ever since she stopped engaging with Soyo, her days had been peaceful and easy.
Getting to perform freely on the street with the boy she liked, being invited by him to join a band's live show, and even being promised a date at the amusement park—
Mutsumi had never looked forward to anything this much before.
"I noticed you rushed out of school yesterday, didn't even come by the Gardening club. Did something happen? If you ever want to talk, I might be able to help, you know~?"
"…Nothing happened."
Mutsumi lowered her head slightly and repeated herself.
"I see~"
Soyo's eyes flickered with a trace of disappointment.
Mutsumi… was lying to her.
She knew that Mutsumi had gone to meet Kazami Haru in secret, even risking being spotted in public just to perform music on the street with him and now she was acting like none of it ever happened.
Why was Mutsumi saying "nothing happened"?
Because… she was being cautious around her.
"Mutsumi, did you know?"
"I recently restarted a band with Tomori and Taki, and we're already preparing for a live show~ We even wrote our first original song. A really talented keyboardist helped with the arrangement…"
Soyo looked up at the deep blue sky, listening to the sound of water dripping onto the leaves around them.
"His name… is Kazami Haru."
This time, it wasn't her imagination, Mutsumi's hand definitely paused.
Her expression stayed unreadable, gaze fixed on the cucumber plants in front of her.
"Mutsumi, you know Kazami-kun too, don't you?"
Soyo's voice dropped slightly, her tone casual—but intentional.
"…"
Mutsumi didn't deny it this time. She simply nodded.
Seeing her finally acknowledge it, a spark lit up in Soyo's eyes. She moved a little closer, excitement in her voice.
"Ehh! So how did you and Kazami-kun meet?"
"At the park."
Mutsumi gave a vague reply and went back to watering.
The clear droplets scattered into the air as the tilted can sprinkled water across the leaves. Bathed in sunlight and moisture, the cucumber flowers looked fuller, livelier.
But Soyo was clearly not satisfied.
"Mutsumi, you know…"
She paused for effect, voice soft like always.
"I feel like Kazami-kun is kind of like Saki-chan. You know, even the keyboard he uses is the same model. Don't you think that's kind of a coincidence?"
"And since he knows you too, Mutsumi, I was thinking… maybe Kazami-kun knows Saki-chan as well?"
Crack.
Mutsumi Wakaba suddenly closed the lid of the watering can and slowly stood up.
Under Soyo Nagasaki's slightly puzzled gaze, Mutsumi placed the can back onto the nearby wooden shelf. Then she turned slightly and lifted her deep golden eyes, void of any readable emotion.
Her calm, unreadable face directly met Soyo's.
"Sakiko has nothing to do with Haru."
"Soyo, don't bother him."
The cold and flat words left Soyo's smile frozen on her face.
"Eh…?"
...
Haneoka High School —
"Great and mighty, Haru! Thank you so, sooo much! I'm saved! Yay~" Hitori Gotoh teared up like someone who had survived a near-death experience, hands clasped in a prayer of gratitude toward Kazami Haru.
"Don't get too excited yet."
"If you don't put in the effort, even a week of intense cramming with me won't help."
Haru spoke with what he thought was a kind smile but his words were brutally direct.
Hitori, hit hard by the blow, instantly plummeted from a world of sunshine and hope to a pit of despair.
In the blink of an eye, poor Bocchi had transformed into a pink, squishy hammer snake, wiggling on the floor like a giant slug.
"Bocchi, snap out of it."
Haru gently patted Bocchi's soft cheek, but she remained deep in her own world.
Her dramatic reactions to setbacks were oddly amusing, and Haru always found it hard not to tease her a little more.
"Studying? What studying?" Chihaya Anon suddenly peeked over, curiosity written all over her face.
"Bocchi might fail the exams this time, so she asked me to help her cram. Our band has a live coming up at the end of the week, and if she fails too many classes, she'll have to come in during break for make-up exams. That would be a mess."
Haru explained casually.
In truth, Bocchi hardly needed to practice guitar anymore.
As a 'Guitar Hero,' her skills were already professional-grade. Her muscle memory had completely absorbed even the hardest techniques. As long as a song wasn't too difficult, she could master it within a day, even without having heard it before.
Bocchi's real problem lay on the stage.
How well she performed came down entirely to her mindset and confidence.
"I see… huh?"
Anon hesitated a moment, then suddenly her mouth dropped open.
Her cute little fang seemed to gleam with sharp tension.
"Wait, so that means it'll be just you and Bocchi studying together?"
A sudden possibility flashed in her mind, and her expression turned a little stiff.
If Haru spent today helping Hitori study, that meant he wouldn't be teaching her guitar.
And that wasn't even the worst of it.
The biggest problem… was that Haru and Bocchi would be alone. Together.
Absolutely unacceptable!
Bocchi might seem shy and harmless on the outside, but who knew what could happen when alone with Haru? What if their bond grew during that time? What if something happened?
Anon couldn't bear the thought.
"Um, Kazami-san…"
A familiar voice chimed in from behind.
Ikuyo Kita, guitar strapped to her back, had wandered over too. Clearly, she'd overheard the part about "studying," and being the kind of girl whose thoughts spiraled quickly, she wasted no time jumping in.
"Ahaha~ I've been practicing guitar so much lately that my grades kinda slipped… I'm not really confident about the finals this week. If I do badly, my parents might ban me from playing."
"Since we can't practice today anyway… could I join the study session too?"
Ikuyo put on her most charming, pleading smile, palms together in a classic "please" pose.
Her reasoning was solid and her request sincere—Haru couldn't even think of a reason to say no.
Meanwhile, Anon stared, stunned, those silver-gray eyes wide with disbelief.
You—You sneaky Kita!
Realizing she was falling behind, Anon started to panic.
"Haru! In that case, I'm coming to study too!"
She grabbed Haru's right hand right in front of Kita.
A faint orchid scent trailed from her close proximity. Her soulful eyes locked onto his, filled with an almost sulky warning—as if daring him to say no.
"But Anon-chan, your grades are pretty good, aren't they?" Ikuyo blinked her bright, greenish-gold eyes in confusion.
This was a rare opportunity!
If Anon couldn't come, then it'd be just Haru, Bocchi, and her. And since Bocchi would take her side as a "bandmate," that was practically a one-on-one.
Truth be told, Anon's instincts were spot-on.
Letting some other girl spend alone time with Haru was like handing away the prize.
"I…"
Anon had never imagined her good grades would become a burden on her romantic path.
But no way was she letting Kita alone with Haru.
Kita might say it was just a little crush, but who knew what she really felt?
What if something happened and it was too late to turn back?
Haru noticed Anon's flustered expression and couldn't help finding it kind of cute.
"Anon's grades are better than mine. If she helps out too, it'd take some pressure off me. I'd love to have her come."
"Harumi~!"
LOVE!
Anon's disappointed look flipped instantly into delight. Her previously soft, mushy voice became bright and bubbly.
She was so overwhelmed with emotion she almost jumped into Haru's arms to give him a kiss or two.
Watching Haru's indifferent face, Anon raised a hint of pride at the corner of her mouth. (smirked)
Knew it~
Haru definitely saw her as more than just a friend now.
He must be at least a little into her. Thinking that, her cheeks turned a deep red as she shyly played with her fingers behind her back.
He's totally crushing on me.
...
"So… why are we at my place again?"
Haru squinted, voice tinged with dry sarcasm.
Since they all decided to study for finals together, Haru obviously couldn't leave Tomori out, so he invited her, too.
But now with so many people, they needed a place to go.
The library would be too quiet for discussion, and doing homework at RiNG, a live house, felt just wrong. Then Tomori casually suggested Haru's place… and everyone immediately latched onto the idea.
"Well, my place isn't ideal today~" Anon toyed nervously with her pink hair.
Her mom was home, and she didn't want to risk blowing her cover. Plus, she really wanted to scope out where Haru lived for "future missions."
Kita felt the same way.
She'd "visited" Haru's apartment in her dreams, but those memories were fuzzy. She couldn't just show up based on fragments.
But going today gave her a legitimate reason.
"My place isn't big, so don't complain if it's cramped," Haru said, unlocking the door.
The girls peeked in curiously.
It was a modest little entrance, lined with planters and flowers. Takamatsu Tomori even spotted a little cucumber plant sitting in a prominent spot and leaned in for a closer look.
"So that's what your username means…" Hitori mumbled, staring at Haru with reverence.
If they made him mad, would he really turn them into fertilizer?
"Oh no, only two guest slippers…" Haru realized, looking a bit troubled.
"No worries~ Your place is super clean, so we're fine without them!" Anon waved it off.
She bent down to remove her shoes, her silky pink hair falling forward, revealing her slender legs wrapped in pristine white tights. Even from a distance, the fabric looked as smooth as silk.
Even Haru couldn't help sneaking another glance.
Though she was as flat as ever, just like cheerful Kita. Anon's long, shapely legs gave her a uniquely mature charm.
"I'll intrude too, then." Kita, cheeks slightly flushed, slipped off her sandals to reveal dainty white socks and slender calves.
Tomori wore black penguin socks. Compared to Anon, her legs were even longer and more well-shaped, her skin smooth and pale. Like a shy animal, she lowered her head.
None of the girls took the guest slippers. Instead, they all walked barefoot across the wooden floor into Haru's room.
"Make yourselves comfortable. I'll make some coffee."
As Haru turned toward the kitchen, a sudden burst of excited shrieks came from behind him.
- - -
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