Anon-san definitely had feelings that went beyond mere friendship.
She didn't even like the bitterness of KISS Coffee, yet she still bought a whole stash and stocked the fridge with it, because she remembered Kazami Haru liked that brand.
She never said anything, but deep down, it clearly mattered a lot to her.
Haru stood frozen in front of the fridge door for a good ten seconds.
After that, his mind was overwhelmed with a mess of emotions. He began cooking absentmindedly, letting muscle memory guide his hands as he cleaned ingredients, controlled the heat, and timed everything to perfection.
Despite his inner chaos, the food turned out incredibly delicious.
"This is amazing! Way too good!"
"Right? It's even better than what you made before…"
Both Kita Ikuyo and Aunt Chihaya were full of praise. Aunt Chihaya especially nodded in astonishment, giving Haru another once-over.
As a seasoned housewife, she could clearly see just how skilled Haru was.
He looked like just a regular high school boy, but not only was he good-looking, his cooking skills were no joke. His attentive care for Anon made even a veteran housewife like her feel inadequate.
The meal was delicious.
Yet that happiness-in-a-bite kind of flavor felt like chewing wax to Haru. He forced it down, one bite at a time, then quietly prepared a light vegetable porridge for Anon's lunch.
Just as he was about to head back to take care of her, Aunt Chihaya gently stopped him.
After all, from her perspective, Haru—just a guest—had already done more than enough. As Anon's guardian, she couldn't keep letting him look after her daughter. It didn't feel right.
Especially since she had such a positive impression of this boy, she even thought this might be a good time to chat a little and ask about his relationship with Anon…
But Haru, with a mess of thoughts in his head, simply thanked her and excused himself.
His mind was such a whirlwind, he didn't even remember how he left the Chihaya residence.
Kita Ikuyo, usually all energy and brightness, went quiet.
Her vivid gold-green eyes, always shining with life, now carried a look of understanding. Her delicate brows faintly furrowed with concern.
She knew exactly why Haru looked so distracted.
It had to be the coffee in the fridge, right?
No surprise there.
Anon always acted close with Haru, sometimes too close for it to be just friendship and Kita, as her rival in love, knew better than anyone else that Anon's feelings for him weren't simple.
Anon's affection was so obvious, even Shiina Taki had picked up on it. So how could someone as sensitive as Haru not notice?
But if he'd only noticed, he wouldn't be this shaken.
Kita furrowed her brows slightly and looked down at her empty, pale hands.
She, too, had worked up the courage to make a move today.
Even if she gave a hundred "reasonable" excuses, both she and Haru knew exactly what that bold gesture meant.
Anyone would see it for what it was, a clear confession of her feelings.
So today, both Kita Ikuyo and Chihaya Anon's feelings had been laid bare before Haru.
Not to mention Yamada Ryo, who had openly expressed her interest, and Takamatsu Tomori, who leaned on Haru and sincerely wanted to stay in a band with him "forever."
No one had hidden their emotions anymore.
And now, Haru was finally beginning to realize it.
If he'd once believed they were all just friends hovering at the edge of romance, now he could no longer ignore that both Anon and Kita held deeper feelings for him.
It was undeniable.
But—
"Mm?"
Haru suddenly felt a soft pressure against his hand. He turned and met the eyes of a red-haired girl.
At some point, Kita Ikuyo had taken his hand again. Her fair cheeks were tinged with bright crimson like blooming hibiscus. Her eyes, clear and shining, locked onto his face as if she could read him like a book.
Even the coldest heart could melt under that gaze.
"Um, so…"
Sunlight filtered through the trees above, casting a dappled glow across her hair and skirt—
Her fiery red locks shimmered in the sun, the warm light softening her outline. Her skirt fluttered faintly with her sudden movement, and her smile—sincere, bright, and utterly selfless—radiated a strength that reached others.
"Haru-san, you still look really out of it. Is it 'cause your cold hasn't gotten better yet?"
"Is it that obvious?"
Of course it was!
Kita Ikuyo, always watching him from the sidelines, could see through him in an instant.
"But… it's kinda cute."
She smiled slightly, whispering it so only she could hear.
Haru was usually so composed. Confident in every situation, calmly making decisions, and sometimes revealing his playful, mischievous side.
Yet here he was, totally lost and indecisive.
He was torn, struggling with the overlapping emotions around him. Whether it was Ryo-senpai, Anon, herself, or even someone else yet unknown—
Everyone meant something important to him.
And if he chose to face one of them head-on, he might end up hurting all the others.
Just like how Kita took his hand again without hesitation and he didn't pull away.
That alone made Kita feel a little happy.
She used to think her love had no future, but realizing that Haru might feel something more than friendship for her, it lit her heart ablaze.
She almost wanted to confess right then and there.
But the usually impulsive Kita Ikuyo held herself back.
Because love… comes with selfish desires.
And yet, she was too kind to let her own desires hurt others.
"You've been running around non-stop for the band, right? Balancing two groups is seriously exhausting. No wonder you caught a cold and burned yourself out."
"Haru-san, you really need to take better care of yourself!"
Her concern was warm, genuine—like a soft breeze wrapping around him.
"You're right… Thank you, Kita."
Haru felt the warmth in her hand and didn't know how to respond.
It was the first time he'd felt so torn and unsure.
He knew Kita liked him.
If this were a simulation and he only had feelings for one person, he could've easily ignored the rest and chosen decisively. But reality wasn't that simple.
He did care about them all and because of that, he had no idea what to do.
Never in his life did Haru think he'd end up in a situation straight out of a light novel.
Was he really going to act like some cliché protagonist, "not rejecting, not accepting," and just letting all this affection pile up around him?
…That wasn't going to work.
Just as he was drowning in indecision, Kita suddenly squeezed his hand tighter.
At some point, she'd leaned close to his ear, baring her cute little teeth. Her eyes were curved like crescent moons, and her naturally beautiful face lit up with a sunshine-bright smile.
"The problem is, Haru-san—you think too much!"
"You know that saying, right? 'Overthinking ruins everything'? If you try to plan every step, things just fall apart!"
She was right. Overthinking.
Kita Ikuyo wasn't going to overthink anymore.
In that "dream" she had once lost everything by hesitating, so now, she had changed. She was no longer lost.
Her eyes were set on one thing.
"So if something's bothering you, Haru-san, don't get stuck in your head!"
"Don't overthink, huh…"
Haru let out a deep breath, trying to clear away the tangled mess of his thoughts.
These problems wouldn't go away on their own. Eventually, he'd have to face them. But for now, he needed to focus on the moment in front of him.
He glanced at Kita, her bright smile still beaming. Her kindness warmed him to the core, and his heart filled with gratitude.
Seeing that the troubled look in his eyes had faded, Kita smiled even brighter. Their joined hands somehow felt even sweeter now.
But then—
"U-Um…"
Just moments ago, Kita Ikuyo had been all smiles and radiant confidence—now, she suddenly looked bashful and unsure.
Her small, pale hand began to sweat from the nerves. She could already feel it turning slightly sticky, and instinctively, she tried to pull her palm away.
She didn't want her embarrassing situation to be noticed by the person she liked.
Any girl in her position would feel the same way.
She absolutely didn't want Kazami Haru to think she was gross!
"…"
Haru seemed to notice. Kita's hand was subtly trying to slip away.
You came this far, why run now?
Without hesitation, Haru gently closed his hand around hers.
That single action instantly sent steam shooting out of Kita's head like a cartoon effect, as if actual puffs of white vapor were rising into the air.
Ah, so that's what this is…
In that moment, Haru realized how flustered she really was.
But it was just a bit of hand sweat. To him, a beautiful girl's hand sweat was no different from the sweetness of soft lemon tea. Far from bothering him, he felt like Kita's cuteness had just landed a direct hit.
"Uuu…"
There was no escape now.
Since he'd already noticed, Kita decided she might as well stop resisting. With her eyebrows suddenly lifted in bold determination, she went all in.
She wasn't the kind of girl who would hurt others for her own selfish desires—
But this was a romantic war, wasn't it? A little selfishness had to be allowed.
"Haru-san, if you ever face something you really don't know how to deal with—"
"I want you to come and rely on me!"
Kita Ikuyo allowed herself that little selfishness. More than Anon, who was always close to him, more than Ryo-senpai with her cunning charm, she wanted to be the most special person in his heart.
The one he could rely on.
"Anything?" Haru raised an eyebrow, his tone oddly amused.
"E-everything!"
And just like that, she was back to flustered.
...
Heavy, dark curtains blocked out the sunlight. The small room was lit only by the faint glow of a computer screen. Scattered across the desk were discarded music sheets and thick theory books.
Shiina Taki, having returned home to work, sat in front of her monitor with focused, sharp eyes. Her sleek black hair was pressed beneath her headphones, stray strands falling gently across her shoulder.
Tap, tap, tap…
In the dim room, only the sound of her keyboard and the faint synthetic notes from her headphones could be heard.
Though she stared intently at the screen, her slightly upturned eyes were tinged red.
She kept replaying the same audio file with her mouse, brows furrowing deeper with every pass. Frustration clung to her face like a shadow.
"No good…"
She muttered under her breath, tightening her grip on the mouse.
Ever since Haru handed over his revised sheet music, she had input the notes into her composition software, but seeing the sheet in the café and hearing the track were worlds apart.
The prelude he'd written was of such high quality it made her own follow-up feel completely inadequate.
She'd been working on the second half of the song ever since, but the brilliance of that opening placed an enormous pressure on her, like trying to write a sequel to a masterpiece.
Even lifting her eyes felt heavy.
"Not enough. Nowhere near enough…"
"This level of melody doesn't deserve to follow what he wrote!"
Her heart pounded faster in her chest.
Time was running out.
Their band's first live show was right around the corner and the song still wasn't done.
Haru had entrusted the arrangement to her completely, and she'd promised—right to his face—that she would finish it. She wanted him to be able to rest easy at home.
But now, all this time later, she still hadn't made much progress.
Her rising frustration boiled over, and she tore her half-finished sheet music in half, hoping the act would offer some kind of relief.
It didn't.
Because what gripped her heart wasn't just anxiety.
"Tomori's lyrics are amazing… and the prelude he wrote is, too…"
"If the melody that follows doesn't live up to that, what's the point of the song?"
Taki took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
But when she closed her eyes, she could still see that gentle figure with blue hair. If it were Togawa Sakiko in her place—if it were her writing this—
Maybe everything would be different.
"Why? Why is it only me who can't…?"
Her violet eyes dulled with despair.
She stared at Haru's sheet again, one he had scribbled on casually with a ballpoint pen and just like that, he had created something beyond anything she could've imagined.
She hated herself for being so useless. She was furious at her own incompetence.
At some point, she had bitten down on her lip hard enough to break the skin. The sudden sting helped her re-focus slightly. The melody in her headphones looped again.
Her right hand, still on the mouse, was tense and stiff.
Whether it was Togawa Sakiko or her brilliant older sister—
Everyone around her always seemed so far ahead. No one had ever really expected anything from her.
And yet… the one who did?
The only person who trusted her enough to give her something as important as this arrangement—
Was the person she'd once dismissed as just "messing around in a band."
Kazami Haru.
Who might be even more of a genius than Sakiko or her sister.
The one person who believed in her.
Was the one she, in some twisted way, used to dislike the most.
- - -
If you want to read up to 100 chapters ahead, don't hesitate to visit
our patron: pat reon . com / Loverice929 (remove space)