"You guys must be exhausted. Have a seat and take a break—lunch will be ready soon."
After helping his subordinates pile all the luggage at the entrance, Kyousuke stepped into the role of the host, welcoming everyone into the house.
The two who drove were both members of Higashi High's upper division.
Originally, after graduating from middle school, he had intended to step down as the leader.
But the moment he mentioned this in the kendo club, all his underlings dropped to their knees and begged him to take back such a "ridiculous" idea.
"But I'm not even a student at Higashi anymore. Isn't it weird for me to still be the head?"
After all, the Rampaging Angels was just an auxiliary group to the Higashi Kendo Club, almost like an exoskeleton unit.
It had been formed partly to fulfill the first-generation leader Makki Kyousuke's dream of cruising around with his friends, and partly to help maintain peace in Bunkyo Ward so students could enjoy their school lives in peace.
"Then transfer schools! Enroll back in Higashi next semester!"
Once they understood why Kyousuke wanted to step down, the underclassmen panicked and shouted in unison.
They weren't joking, these hot-blooded fools could be reduced to one functioning brain cell when emotions ran high.
And so, Kyousuke had to abandon the idea.
Still, thanks to his wise leadership, all the members eventually mellowed out.
No one had gotten into a fight for over three years. Those with too much energy were simply dragged into the kendo club and put through intense training.
And once word got out that the infamous "Handless Demon" would be enrolling at Toyogasaki Academy, many of the local gangs in Toshima Ward immediately disbanded.
Bullied students even began planning a welcome party ahead of time to celebrate the fact that their ward was now under a new protector.
The man who once stood under a shower of cherry blossoms, holding a massive black paper umbrella, was finally coming to shield them.
———————————————————————
"Looks like I won't get to taste your cooking today, boss. I got an invite from Onizuka and the others to head to the Shonan coast."
Kisaki Tetta bowed apologetically.
There was no way he'd stick around today—not with Kyousuke planning a cozy day with the girls.
He knew better than anyone what kind of man his big bro was.
Kyousuke might take good care of his people, but if anyone dared interrupt one of his dates…
"Ah, that's a shame. At least take some snacks for the road."
Kyousuke replied with a regretful smile.
Sakura, who had been tidying up in the back, immediately handed over a gift box with a sweet expression.
It contained the soba noodles and other treats Kisaki had bought for him earlier.
The gate of the house opened, and one after another, the cars rolled out.
———————————————————————
"Whew, I'm dead tired~"
The moment they stepped into the house, Kyousuke heard Sakura groan dramatically.
She flopped onto the sofa, her entire body hidden behind the backrest, except for her head and her impossibly long legs, even the sweatpants couldn't hide them.
"Hey, I'm the one who should be saying that!"
Kyousuke plopped down beside her with an annoyed look and gave her a playful poke on the butt.
"Whew, I'm dead tired~" she repeated, in the exact same tone.
"Sho-chan~~ Could you get me an ice-cold Coke? Please?" Sakura's voice was hoarse and dramatic, like someone dying of thirst in a desert.
"It's too early for soda! Shouko, just get me one instead," Kyousuke interrupted before she could make it worse.
"Okay~"
Nishimiya Shouko, who was sitting on the rug with Naoka, changing cushion covers, got up.
She smiled softly as she looked at the two sprawled out in identical poses, then headed toward the fridge.
"Come on, you two! Get up already—it's almost lunchtime. We've still got to visit the neighbors and hit the supermarket for supplies. We're on a tight schedule today!"
Naoka grumbled as she watched Shouko obediently fetching drinks for them.
"Worry about the afternoon in the afternoon, Naoka~" Sakura chirped, flipping over and kneeling on the floor cushion.
She leaned her head lazily against the back of the sofa, twirling her finger like some absentminded bookworm. "If you think too much, you'll turn into a cranky old lady."
"In that case, I'm calling dibs on the far room upstairs. You can worry about your old-lady problems later."
Unfazed by Sakura's nonsense, Naoka rolled her eyes and grabbed a small suitcase, heading straight for the stairs.
"Nooo!!"
Barefoot, Sakura leapt over the sofa in one bound, her long legs carrying her up the stairs with a pat-pat-pat. She vanished down the hall in seconds.
"Idiot."
Naoka shook her head and returned to her spot on the rug.
They had already decided on the rooms earlier: Kyousuke's room was in the middle, Sakura's on the right side at the end of the hallway, Naoka's on the left, and Shouko's across from them.
"Kyousuke-kun, here's your Coke."
As expected, Shouko only brought one bottle of ice-cold cola. Like she was offering a potion, she didn't let go until she confirmed he had a firm grip on it.
They all knew Kyousuke loved Coke but whenever Sakura was around, he'd loudly complain it was unhealthy.
Today, they made an exception and bought some to celebrate the move-in.
"Ahh~ I feel alive again."
With Sakura upstairs, Kyousuke made no effort to hide his love for soda.
"Hehe, now hurry up and carry Sakura's luggage upstairs too, would you?"
Seeing how happy Kyousuke looked drinking the Coke she brought, Shouko's own face lit up with a matching smile—like she was the one drinking it.
But even in her joy, she didn't forget to worry about Sakura.
"Shouko, you're spoiling those two! They're just going to get lazier and lazier."
Naoka, sitting cross-legged on the rug, scolded her lightly.
"C'mon Naoka, leave the cushions and go set up your room. I'll call you down when lunch is ready."
Placing his Coke on the kitchen counter, Kyousuke gave Shouko a gentle head pat, then walked over to Naoka and offered his hand.
"I want to eat some food today."
Naoka smiled and placed her smooth, fair hands in his, using his strength to stand.
"No problem!"
Kyousuke grinned, showing eight teeth. With his gift for cooking, he might not reach "clothes-bursting" gourmet levels, but he could probably make something good enough to shine.
"I'll be looking forward to it then."
Smiling sweetly, Naoka picked up her suitcase and headed upstairs. From the second floor, she peeked over the railing and called down at the two smiling goofballs below:
"Shouko, stop slacking and go clean up your room too!"
"Okaaaay~"
Caught red-handed, Shouko shrank her neck in embarrassment, responding with a tiny voice. She then looked at Kyousuke and stuck out her pink tongue playfully.
"Well then, I'll leave lunch to you, Kyousuke-kun~"
Her pouty cheeks showed clear disappointment.
What a shame—she'd really hoped to cook together with him today. The kitchen was so spacious, and she'd imagined the two of them moving in perfect sync.
"Haha, Shouko, you're too adorable."
Kyousuke pulled her gently into a hug and rubbed her fluffy brown hair. It still felt as nice as ever.
"Kyousuke, hurry up and help me carry the luggage upstairs!" Sakura's shout echoed.
'Pfft~' x2
The two, still half-embraced, shared a laugh before letting go and picking up their things to head upstairs.
Naoka had the least amount of luggage, but hers was the heaviest—because she brought an electric sewing machine.
While Kyousuke was quite pleased with the soundproofing done by the renovation team, he still decided to assign her a small unused storage room on the first floor as a personal studio.
As for helping Naoka earn money, he already had a basic plan in mind and had Kisaki start reaching out to some contacts.
Sakura, on the other hand, the one bought the most stuff like a whole box of DVD movies. They were her treasures.
She never liked reading books (her bookshelf was practically empty), but when it came to movies, she was dead serious.
Even in the internet age, DVDs remained one of the main ways Japanese people got access to video content outside of TV.
Partly due to strict copyright laws, and partly because physical sales still proved to be an effective way to squeeze money out of otaku wallets.
To this day, back alleys of Akihabara are still crawling with foreigners peddling pirated software.
But once they hear the bike bells of patrolling officers, they scatter like startled pigeons.
Of course, Sakura's allowance alone couldn't cover all those DVDs.
Most of them were bought with money pooled together by her and Kyousuke.
They had a tradition of watching one movie a week—though sometimes Sakura's whims would interrupt the routine, they'd always make it up within three weeks.
After each movie, Sakura would demand a review from Kyousuke—no less than half a page of A4.
Naturally, she never wrote one herself.
Her thoughts were always spilled out during the movie itself! To her, that was the real review. And to Kyousuke, she was part of the movie too.
"The reason I'm not as good at studying as you, Kyousuke, is because my brain is stuffed full of all those movies we watched together," she once said.
What a dummy. I remember not just the movies, but also the tears you shed and the silly things you said.
"Kyousuke, help me move the bed a little."
"Kyousuke-kun, the window's stuck!"
"Kyousuke, help me set up the sewing machine."
"Kyousuke, I can't find my pillow."
"Kyousuke…"
Whatever the request, all three girls were experts at showing just the right amount of helplessness in front of the guy they liked.
Kyousuke, in the middle of cooking, kept running up and down the stairs.
Normally, even after two hours of kendo training, he wouldn't break a sweat.
But now, his T-shirt was drenched. Still, thanks to his solid cooking skills, he managed to get dinner on the table right on time.
"Wow, time to dig in!" Sakura shouted, reaching straight for a plate of twice-cooked pork.
There was no separate dish system—unless guests were over, Japanese households usually shared food from the same plates.
"Go wash your hands first," Kyousuke scolded lightly, tapping her on the head with his chopsticks as he walked over with bowls and utensils.
Naoka and Shouko had obediently gone to wash up in the bathroom downstairs.
"What's the big deal? Dust in the air's gonna land on the food anyway."
"If I eat with my hands, I'm just wiping the dust off the surface." Sakura scrunched her head back and tried to defend herself.
Then she turned to Kyousuke with her mouth open wide. "Ahhh~~"
"You're impossible," he said with a chuckle, shaking his head. Then he picked up a slice of pork with his chopsticks and popped it into her mouth.
"Yum!" Sakura gave a big thumbs-up before she even started chewing. Her sincerity was so raw and unfiltered that it instantly warmed the heart of the one being praised.
"All right, go wash your hands," Kyousuke said, heading back to the kitchen one last time to bring out a pot of rich beef stew, placing it carefully on a heat mat.
The two-meter-long dining table was packed with food.
The rectangular table had Kyousuke seated at the head. Sakura was on his left, Shouko and Naoka on the right.
Just moments ago, Sakura had been the most eager to start eating.
But now, she stared intently at Kyousuke with her large, bright yellow eyes. Shouko and Naoka mirrored her gaze.
Though all three claimed they were only "renting rooms," the symbolic 1,000 yen per year rent wouldn't get you even a storage closet in the countryside.
And while they promised to share the housework, Kyousuke was still the one cooking.
Everyone knew that this place, even if it didn't have the title of a family home, was a home.
Their first meal together under one roof, they were all waiting for Kyousuke to say something.
The novelist Kyousuke, known for his "one stroke, soul-piercing" writing, found himself speechless.
On either side of him were girls who looked like they'd been sculpted from the essence of the world itself, each gazing up at him with faces too beautiful to be real.
In his own house. About to share lunch with him. Their cohabitation life was about to begin.
"Am I… dreaming?"
He only realized he'd spoken out loud when the sound of soft, girlish laughter rang out beside him.
"I feel so happy," he admitted, turning to Sakura, then to Shouko and Naoka. No attempt to hide his feelings.
"Hehe, me too! Waking up and seeing Kyousuke every day—it's the best!" Sakura giggled, resting her cheeks in her hands, her voice adorably dumb.
"That's because you're always the last one to wake up," Naoka immediately jabbed, then looked at Kyousuke.
She opened her mouth as if to say something, but lowered her head instead.
Sakura was just about to snap back when she saw Naoka suddenly reach out with her chopsticks and drop a piece of spicy red chili beef into Kyousuke's bowl.
"Hey! Naoka, you sneaky cat!" Sakura yelled.
Not to be outdone, she quickly picked up a piece of beef and plopped it into Kyousuke's bowl.
"Careful! Don't spill it all over the table," Kyousuke cried out, surrounded by their noisy affection.
Shouko, in a white T-shirt and a blue suspender dress, sat quietly off to the side.
One arm propped under her chin, eyes curved gently in a peaceful smile as she watched the three of them bicker.
To her, it didn't really matter whether she got time alone with Kyousuke or not.
From the moment she met him, she'd also met Naoka—and the very next day, Sakura joined them too.
When they learned to sing, the three of them were together.
When they practiced speaking, they were together.
Even on camping trips, they were always together...
Every memory involving Kyousuke had Naoka and Sakura in it.
To her, marrying Kyousuke wasn't the important thing. If she could, she'd rather keep things exactly as they were—forever.
But she knew that wasn't realistic.
People grow up.
They mature.
One day, Kyousuke would marry someone.
Back then, she was sure that person would be Sakura.
She had even felt happy about it, thinking that if it were Sakura, maybe she could stay by Kyousuke's side as she always had.
What kind of wife would be okay with another girl always hanging around her husband?
But for some reason, whether it was Sakura's carefree personality or all those weird things she'd said, Shouko had always been sure of one thing.
"Shou-chan, after you marry Kyousuke, you better take good care of him."
That's what Sakura had whispered to her during the third semester of their second year in middle school, while Naoka was trying on clothes in a dressing room.
If it had been any other girl or even Naoka—saying that, Shouko would have immediately assumed it was a declaration of war, a sarcastic jab in disguise.
But the one who said it was Sakura.
Just like Kyousuke, she had this strange, radiant power to warm people's hearts—cheerful and bright like a blooming cherry blossom.
"Sakura, obviously you're the one who's going to marry Kyousuke," Shouko responded instinctively, though she felt a little sorry for Naoka.
"Right? But if one day I just suddenly disappeared… I bet you'd take good care of him, Shou-chan."
"Don't say things like that, Sakura!" For once, Nishimiya Shouko sounded genuinely upset.
"Hahaha, I'm kidding, I'm kidding." Sakura laughed it off and went back to bickering playfully with Naoka.
Shouko couldn't understand her. Couldn't make sense of it.
She shook her head to push the strange memory aside, and once again turned her attention happily to the family sitcom playing in front of her—only to find herself locking eyes with Kyousuke.
Her large brown eyes widened for a moment, then softened with a gentle squint.
The quiet joy in her heart bloomed into a smile at the corners of her lips.
Their first meal in the new house came to an end, and as usual, dishwashing duties were left to the miraculous dishwasher.
All four of them, who'd been buzzing with excitement since early morning, were now struggling to stay awake.
Influenced by Kyousuke, the three girls had all become honorary citizens of "New Tokyo"—meaning they now needed afternoon naps.
"Good afternoon~"
Standing in front of their respective doors, the four exchanged smiles.
The windows were shut, the triple-layered curtains drawn, and the rooms fell into a peaceful darkness. Yet even after lying down, Kyousuke couldn't fall asleep.
How could he, when Sakura's room was just one wall away from his head, Naoka's bed five meters from his feet, and Shouko's only a short three-meter slide away?
Did Sakura, that lovable airhead, even bother to make her bed?
She was so busy playing around earlier—what if she catches a cold?
'Should I turn on the AC? And didn't she have trouble sleeping in new places? What if she's still awake?'
'Naoka's duvet looked nice—was that handmade? I think mine is too. And what's that smell? Grape-scented fabric softener? No… it's not just grape…'
'Shouko barely ate anything during lunch. Is she trying to diet? This must be her first time sleeping alone in a room.'
'Back home she shared with Yuzuru, and in middle school with Naoka. I wonder if she's scared?'
...
Tangled in thoughts, Kyousuke finally drifted off into a pleasant dream.
Just as he imagined, Sakura's room really was only a wall away from his.
But the soundproofing which Kyousuke had proudly installed made Sakura frown in frustration.
Blowing on her sore, reddened hand, Sakura puffed out her cheeks and gave up on the childish idea of tapping on the wall to talk to Kyousuke.
'Seriously! Why did he make the walls so thick?! Maybe I should ask him to install a little door with a power drill later?'
'No, wait—that won't do. If Naoka finds out, she'll definitely want one too!'
sigh~
Letting out a long breath, Sakura bundled herself up in her blanket and shut her eyes.
Sleep, sleep!
To Kyousuke, today felt like a dream. But for Naoka, it was no different.
She never imagined she'd live in a house like this.
The living room alone was bigger than her family's entire traditional home.
When she first saw it, she thought she'd stumbled into a mansion from some period drama.
If it hadn't been for Sakura and Kyousuke's constant persuasion, her pride and stubbornness might have stopped her from accepting the offer.
It was only after seeing that even Shouko had agreed that she convinced herself to stay—vowing to take on all the housework to make up for it.
Ueno Naoka, you've got to give it your all. Become the kind of girl Kyousuke can be proud of just mentioning!
Staring up at the white ceiling, she shouted that silently in her heart. The soft glow coming through the white curtains bathed her violet-blue eyes in a gentle shimmer.
With a determined tug, she yanked the lavender-patterned blanket over her head. Tomorrow starts with a fresh spirit!
Of the three girls, Nishimiya Shouko was likely the only one not caught up in endless thoughts.
After saying "Good afternoon," she walked into her room and quietly shut the door.
She took one last glance at the charming garden outside before closing the curtains.
She changed from her jumper skirt into the pink teddy bear pajamas she'd brought from home.
Sitting on the bed, she flipped up a corner of the blanket, took off her cotton slippers, and rolled smoothly into the covers.
This is my home—with Kyousuke-kun.
Just knowing that Kyousuke was so close, that she could call and he'd hear her—somehow it made her heart feel at peace.
Like the teddy bear in her arms was Kyousuke himself.
By the time Kyousuke woke up, it was already two in the afternoon.
He glanced at the doors across from and beside his room.
The nameplates he had personally made were all flipped to show "Unoccupied."
Sakura's had a little pink pig, Shouko's was a blue-eyed white kitten, and Naoka's was a sleepy-eyed yellow puppy.
The house had a skylight that opened straight up to the second floor, while the third floor was fully enclosed.
Passing by Shouko's room, Kyousuke reached the railing and looked down.
To his surprise, Sakura and Naoka were already cleaning.
From his perspective being someone with a mild case of OCD the house was already spotless. Even the air felt sweet.
But he knew the girls must've left their rooms to avoid making noise while he was napping.
Except… what about Shouko?
"Well, well. The lazy pig Kyousuke finally woke up."
Sakura, brushing the sofa with a long-handled duster, caught sight of him from the corner of her eye and scrunched her nose in mock disgust.
"Yeah, looks like I lost today to Sakura-sama."
Leaning against the railing as he came down the stairs, Kyousuke finally spotted Shouko.
"Good afternoon, Kyousuke." Naoka approached him, carrying several small packages and placing them on the kitchen counter.
"Afternoon~"
As he descended the stairs, he ended up right in front of her.
The kitchen was connected directly to the staircase landing. On either side beneath the stairs were storage rooms, and in the center, a door to the garage.
In the garden, Shouko was crouched down in front of the small flowerbed on the left, digging at something with a small spade.
Her pure white shorts hugged her petite figure, and her matching T-shirt was soaked through with sweat on the back.
Apparently, the oversized sun hat on her head wasn't doing much good.
She looked like a girl who'd grown tired of fast-paced Tokyo life and returned to the countryside.
Of course, this wasn't the countryside—it was a luxurious neighborhood garden.
"Shouko really loves that garden," Naoka said with a chuckle, noticing Kyousuke's gaze.
"She jumped out there the moment she woke up to trim the flowers."
"Sakura and I told her to wait until the evening, but she wouldn't listen. Just kept going like a dummy."
"I see…"
Kyousuke had already opened the fridge, thinking he'd call Shouko inside to take a break with a glass of iced barley tea.
But after a moment of thought, he closed it again and stepped out into the garden through the sliding glass door.
He opened the storage shed and pulled out an outdoor parasol taller than himself.
Shouko was so focused on her work that she didn't notice anything—until the sun above her suddenly vanished.
"Kyousuke-kun! You're up?" She looked up, puzzled, only for her clear, sparkling eyes to light up in delight the moment she saw him.