Haruto found himself standing in front of Setsuna's bedroom door, curious about what she and Sekai were doing or talking about inside.
Just as he arrived—without even opening the door—he heard a sudden, flustered squeal from inside, tinged with shyness and panic. The sound made him freeze in place, confused, unsure whether to continue or retreat. He paused outside the door, hesitant to intrude.
"Even if Haruto found out about this… he wouldn't be happy."
"How do you know he wouldn't be happy?"
"Because it's weird! No one would like this kind of thing."
"Precisely because it's weird, that's why boys like it. If everything stays ordinary and unchanging, they'll gradually lose interest. Only by doing something unexpected can you keep things fresh."
"Where did you even learn that nonsense?"
"From a women's talk show. The segment was about how to keep your husband interested even after thirty years of marriage."
"I don't need stuff like that…"
Haruto listened, brows furrowed, drawing closer to the door and softening his footsteps to avoid detection. He stood there quietly, thoughts swirling as he continued to eavesdrop.
"You may not need it now, but it's still useful to know. Don't you think there's some truth to it?"
Inside the room, Sekai had pinned Setsuna down on the bed, gripping her wrists. Setsuna's eyes were filled with hesitation, but Sekai persisted.
"Dry toast is tastier with a bit of jam, right? By doing something totally out of character, something Haruto would never expect, he'll start paying more attention to you—wondering why you've suddenly changed."
"What if he hates it?"
"..."
Setsuna tried wriggling free, but her physical disadvantage was clear. No matter how hard she struggled, Sekai's grip didn't loosen. Instead, Sekai used the moment to shift her weight fully onto Setsuna, pressing their bodies together and lowering her face close to her friend's.
Their eyes locked. Setsuna's expression was one of clear disapproval, but Sekai just grinned, like a mischievous uncle.
"Let go."
"This kind of resistance… Even if a guy wouldn't say it out loud, deep down, they kind of like it. It gives them that sense of conquest."
"Stop spouting nonsense! Haruto isn't like that. He wouldn't get excited over something this stupid—and even if it's just for show, this is still weird!"
Annoyed, Setsuna scowled deeper, her resistance intensifying. She tried to push Sekai off with her leg, but Sekai countered, locking her in place.
"It's not that weird, right? It's just the two of us. As long as the door's closed, no one will know. Besides… for a first experience, I think this is kind of exciting."
With her blushing face turned away in embarrassment, Setsuna shut her eyes, unwilling to meet Sekai's gaze.
"Are you shy? So cute. Let me take a good look at your litt—"
Standing at the door, Haruto shut his eyes and let out a long sigh, expression tangled in a mix of emotions. He had never imagined he'd witness Sekai doing something so absurd with Setsuna. His thoughts were too jumbled for words. The only thing he managed to do was...
Click—
The sound of the door opening froze Sekai in place. Her face hovered inches from Setsuna's neck, the warm breath from her lips brushing against bare skin. Her mind went blank in an instant.
She didn't know who was at the door, but the mere idea that someone had seen was enough to make her want to disappear.
Setsuna, still pinned down, didn't immediately register what had happened. She only noticed the stillness of Sekai's body and slowly opened her eyes, turning her head toward the door.
Haruto stood there in the doorway, having pushed it halfway open. He quietly observed the scene before him—two girls lying on the bed, and a very suspicious sound from Sekai right before he walked in: a playful, suggestive hum.
Setsuna's eyes locked onto Haruto's blank expression, and in that moment, a surge of embarrassment rushed through her body. With newfound strength, she shoved Sekai off, rolled to the side, and buried her face into the pillow.
Sekai, now pushed away, glanced hesitantly toward the door and saw Haruto's conflicted and weary expression. Her heart sank.
Haruto gently pulled the door shut again without saying a word. He didn't step into the room—doing so would've only made things more awkward. Closing the door softly, he turned around and headed back to the living room.
There, Mai—was working with fish at the kitchen counter. Seeing Haruto return with such a complicated expression, she looked toward her daughter's room in confusion.
"Did something happen?"
From the kitchen, she hadn't heard much—just a bit of muffled noise, nothing distinguishable. All she saw was Haruto pausing outside the door, then briefly entering and returning quickly.
"I heard and saw… something a bit…"
"Hmm?"
"No, it's nothing. Just two girls… bonding, I guess. I accidentally walked in at the wrong time. It got awkward, so I left to give them space."
"Bonding" between girls?
Mai raised an eyebrow. Haruto's vague response only deepened her curiosity. She narrowed her eyes slightly, some not-so-wholesome possibilities forming in her mind.
"What kind of bonding?"
"It's a fairly common thing among girls, I think?"
He tried to justify it. After all, even guys sometimes did things that could look a little too close in private—but it was just friendship. At least, it usually was.
'If I hadn't overheard that conversation, maybe I'd believe that…'
He forced a smile, which only confused Mai further. Still, judging by how calm Haruto was, it didn't seem like anything truly inappropriate had happened.
With that reasoning, Mai shrugged and returned to her cooking, cleaning the fish scales. Haruto stepped up beside her to help with seasoning and prep, trying to push the earlier scene out of his mind.
Back in the bedroom—
Setsuna hadn't moved since the door closed. Her face still buried in the pillow. Sekai sat quietly on the edge of the bed, finally speaking after a long silence.
"He left."
"..."
Setsuna, her face flushed with lingering embarrassment, bit her lip and glared at Sekai.
"I didn't know he was back, I swear… But hey, it was still a surprise for him, right?"
"Can you even tell the difference between a surprise and a scare anymore?"
"Well, he was definitely surprised. Whether it was good or bad... you can ask him later. Anyway, I just remembered something I have to do—so I'm gonna head out."
Setsuna wanted to stop her but was too annoyed to say anything. She lay back down, lips pressed in a pout, and shut her eyes again.
Sekai snuck to the door and peeked into the living room. There was Haruto, helping with dinner. Her steps quiet, she slipped out.
"We're about to have dinner. Want to stay?" Haruto asked, seeing her by the door.
Sekai flinched. She turned her head slightly and forced a tight smile, avoiding his gaze.
"No, I've got something to take care of. I'll be going."
"Alright. Take care."
"Yeah…"
She quickly put on her shoes and left the Kiyoura home.
Mai, still puzzled, watched her go.
"She looked kind of off. What exactly happened in that room?"
"Nothing much. Just… a little girl talk," Haruto replied vaguely.
"I see. Well, I'll ask Setsuna later."
He didn't respond. He just returned to helping with dinner as Mai began chatting about other topics.
Later that evening, after dinner was ready, Haruto went to knock on Setsuna's door.
She finally sat up.
When he stepped into the room, she glanced at him briefly before turning away, her eyes evasive.
"Still thinking about earlier?"
"No. It's not your fault. It's just… Sekai... Ugh, forget it."
Haruto walked over, gently pulled her into an embrace.
Her petite figure left the ground for a second, her white-socked feet kicking gently in the air before touching back down. Then, in a single motion, he laid her down on the bed again.
"If you don't like Sekai doing that… what about me?"
She stared up at him, stunned. His playful smile made her cheeks flush instantly.
"You heard all of it?!"
"At the door. Just as I was about to open it, I heard voices from inside."
An indescribable mix of frustration and embarrassment welled up in Setsuna. She looked at her boyfriend, let out a quiet sigh, and closed her eyes.
"…Alright. Get up now. Your mom's still waiting for us in the living room."
Haruto stood up, glancing down as Setsuna slowly opened her eyes again. Without saying another word, he turned and walked toward the door, leaving the room first.
Left behind, Setsuna watched his retreating figure before slowly sitting up. Her mood was especially sour—after all, she'd been pushed down twice in one day. Once by Sekai, and now by Haruto. Neither felt particularly romantic.
When Mai saw her daughter enter the living room, she immediately noticed the rare expression of irritation on Setsuna's face. Her eyes naturally drifted toward Haruto.
"…It had nothing to do with me… Well, maybe a little."
Setsuna sat down at the dinner table without a word and, unusually, chose not to sit next to Haruto. Instead, she sat beside her mother. This small gesture surprised Mai even more.
"What happened?"