Naegi Residence.
"Onee-chan, I'm home." Seiko Kirigiri returned from school and found that her sister had already prepared dinner.
However, there was only one serving of food on the kitchen table, and her sister sat on the living room sofa, seemingly without any intention of eating. Seiko glanced at the sink and saw washed dishes and chopsticks—it seemed her sister hadn't skipped dinner, but had eaten early before Seiko got home.
"Welcome back. Dinner's ready, go ahead and eat. Mom and Dad called earlier—they said they'll be coming home next month." Hibiki Naegi's tone was the same as usual as she spoke from the sofa, her eyes fixed on her phone.
"You already ate? Why didn't you wait so we could eat together? I even bought your favorite apple cake, planning to have it with you after dinner."
Seiko asked as she entered the living room and set the cake on the coffee table.
"Mm… I was too hungry, so I ate early, hahaha. Thanks for the cake, but I'm full right now, so maybe later." Hibiki let out a few dry laughs, politely declining Seiko's offer. Or perhaps it wasn't really a refusal—her mind just wasn't here. She had no interest in anything at the moment. All she wanted was to wait for a certain person's message.
Seiko saw this clearly. Her hands clenched slightly, but in the end, she didn't have the courage to ask, "What's wrong with you lately?" She simply turned back to the kitchen and began to eat.
Hibiki's cooking was excellent, and the dishes were all Seiko's favorites. Yet somehow, tonight, the food tasted dull and flavorless.
After finishing, Seiko washed the dishes slowly, her attention still on the living room, observing her sister.
Hibiki's expression was gentle yet firm, just as it had always been—especially when she painted. Seiko didn't understand art, but she loved watching her sister draw.
But right now, Hibiki looked as if she were waiting idly for someone. She sat on the sofa with her wrists resting on her knees, her hands dangling loosely. Her sock-clad feet were up on the couch, and every now and then she'd glance at her phone before setting it down again.
Watching her like that, a faint gloom spread through Seiko's heart like drifting clouds. She remembered that in the past, whenever her sister had that kind of expression, it was because she was waiting for her. But now… she didn't know who her sister was waiting for.
What she did know, however, was that this time—it wasn't her.
The phone rang—
Seiko instinctively reached for her own phone, wiping her wet hands dry with a paper towel as she looked toward the living room. The advantage of an open kitchen, at least for Seiko, was being able to see her sister clearly from there. But then she realized—she was mistaken. It wasn't her phone ringing. It was her sister's.
The idle expression on Hibiki's face vanished instantly. Frowning slightly, she stared at her phone. After typing a quick reply, she suddenly stood up from the sofa and hurried into the bathroom. Standing before the sink, she picked up her makeup kit and a comb.
Seiko blinked, confusion stirring inside her. Was Hibiki going out now? She hadn't done anything special all day, and yet at this hour—early evening, when it was already getting dark—she was carefully brushing her hair and putting on makeup. For a normal high schooler, there weren't many reasons to get dressed up and go out at this time.
Where is she going?
Uneasiness filled Seiko's chest as she watched Hibiki finish her light makeup and grab her phone and keys.
"Seiko, I have something to take care of, but don't worry—I'll be back before nine. Stay home, finish your homework, and go to bed early, okay?"
Hibiki paused at the door and turned back to speak to her.
Her makeup was subtle, and her hair neatly styled. She looked refreshingly beautiful—Hibiki had always been lovely, but ever since she'd become absorbed in painting, she'd neglected her appearance. Tonight, however, she looked radiant again.
Seiko opened her mouth to say something, but the words caught in her throat…
On the drawing paper—because of that, Hibiki Naegi rarely dressed up or put on makeup. At least, as far as Seiko Kirigiri could remember, her sister had almost never done so.
What confused Seiko even more was—where did these cosmetics come from? Did her sister buy them herself? Or were they gifts from someone? And when did she even learn how to use them?
Hibiki had always said that she didn't bother with makeup. The most she ever used was face wash and moisturizer. She'd even once said, "The time I'd waste putting on makeup is enough for me to set up my brushes and mix my paints to start drawing."
But now, she knew how to do makeup—and Seiko hadn't even realized when she learned.
"At least tell me who you're going to meet," Seiko said.
To her surprise, a simple question made Hibiki's face twist slightly, as though she were struggling to come up with an excuse. After a few seconds, she said, "I'm just meeting a friend. We haven't seen each other since elementary school. She recently moved back to Chiba City and asked me to meet up."
"What's her name?"
"You wouldn't know her—we never met back then. Anyway, don't worry. I'll be back before nine. I'll bring you something tasty when I get back. Could you tidy up the kitchen for me? Thanks. Bye!"
Hibiki finished speaking and left quickly—almost as if she were escaping—from both the house and Seiko's gaze.
The dish in Seiko's hand slipped from her fingers into the sink. There was no water in it, so the sound of porcelain hitting metal rang sharply through the room. Thankfully, the bowl didn't break.
Now, the entire house was silent—just Seiko alone. The air inside felt heavy, stifling, and cold. She rubbed her fingertips together, trying to dispel that chill.
Where did Hibiki go?
Who was she meeting?
And when did she learn to use makeup?
Did she learn it for the person she was going to meet?
Seiko didn't know. She sat down on the sofa, head bowed. The dishes in the kitchen remained unwashed—she didn't feel like doing them anymore. She picked up her phone, scrolling through her contacts, thinking of people who knew her sister.
"Kotomi… right, Kotomi. She's in the same club as my sister."
She quickly typed out a message and sent it.
Seiko Kirigiri: [Kotomi, sorry to bother you this late, but do you know if something's going on with my sister lately? She's been acting kind of strange, and she just suddenly went out.]
After sending the message, Seiko sat idly on the sofa. Then she realized—she looked just like her sister had earlier, waiting for someone's reply.
Ding.
Her phone chimed.
It was a reply from Kotomi Izumi.
Kotomi Izumi: [Oh, it's fine! It's not that late yet. You mean Naegi-senpai? I've been busy lately preparing for the cultural festival rehearsals, so I haven't gone to the Art Club in a few days. I'm not really sure what's been going on.]
Seiko Kirigiri: [I see… Alright, sorry for disturbing you.]
Kotomi Izumi: [No worries! But if Naegi-senpai went out this late, it does sound a bit unusual. Did she say where she was going?]
Seiko Kirigiri: [She didn't say anything. Just that she was meeting an old elementary school friend—and then she rushed out the door…]
Seiko Kirigiri: [My sister's really bad at lying. Every time she tries, her eyes dart all over the place. And the excuses she makes up are so obviously fake… She probably thinks she's covered all her bases, but anyone can tell right away she's lying.]
Seiko Kirigiri: [Where did she go? Who is she meeting? She didn't tell me anything—and she lied to me. She's never lied to me before. Why? Ever since she came back from Kyoto… it feels like everything's changed.]
Kotomi read Seiko's messages in silence, thinking back to their trip to Kyoto. From the time they departed to when they returned—had Hibiki changed during that time?
It felt like she had… and yet, maybe she hadn't.
As Kotomi pondered how to reply, another message came.
Seiko Kirigiri: [Kotomi, I know this is sudden, but… if you can, could you come over and keep me company for a while? I won't take much of your time, I promise!]
Seiko Kirigiri: [Of course, if you're busy, that's fine too. Don't worry about it.]
Seiko Kirigiri: [It's just… I don't like being alone at home.]
Kotomi looked at the message, then glanced at the time—5 p.m.
She'd gotten home early today, and there was still a while before dinner. After a brief moment of thought, she typed a reply.
Kotomi Izumi: [Alright. Wait for me at home—I'll be there soon.]
...
...
Something brushed faintly near her ear. Still half-asleep, Seiko Kirigiri instinctively sat up. A moment later, as her mind cleared, she realized it wasn't something moving by her ear—it was the sound of the doorbell.
Blinking in confusion, she froze for a second before the realization hit her. She had asked Kotomi Izumi to come over and keep her company earlier. She must have fallen asleep on the sofa while waiting.
She didn't know how long Kotomi had been ringing the bell, but she didn't dare make her wait any longer. She was the one who had asked her to come, after all. Letting her stand outside would be far too rude.
Jumping to her feet, she hurried to the front door in her slippers, slapping her cheeks lightly to shake off the lingering drowsiness.
"I'm so sorry, Kotomi! I— I just…"
She flung open the door, panting slightly. Since it opened inward, she didn't have to worry about accidentally hitting Kotomi. Seeing her standing outside, smiling patiently, Seiko felt a rush of embarrassment so strong that she almost wanted to kneel and apologize on the spot.
"It's fine, really! I only just got here a minute or two ago," Kotomi said with a gentle smile. "Were you asleep just now?"
"Mm… yeah. I'm really sorry. I was the one who asked you to come over, and I ended up falling asleep first. I must've kept you waiting."
Kotomi waved her hand dismissively. "Then I guess I came at the perfect time, since I really just got here. I only rang the bell a few times before you opened the door. But, Seiko… have you not been sleeping well lately?"
"No, it's not that. I was just waiting for you on the sofa and must've dozed off without realizing it," Seiko said, embarrassed.
Kotomi chuckled softly, a playful glint in her eyes. "Aw~ what a shame I didn't get to see you sleeping! If I had been here earlier and saw you fast asleep, I totally would've done something."
She paused deliberately, as if to tease her.
Curiosity immediately piqued, Seiko asked, "Done what?"
"Have you ever heard the story of Sleeping Beauty? The prince who braved countless hardships for love, and finally broke the spell of the sleeping princess with a true love's kiss."
Kotomi leaned in lightly as she spoke, and Seiko caught a faint fragrance in the air. She wasn't sure what perfume Kotomi had used, but its soft floral scent filled the space around them. From the very first breath, Seiko found herself liking it.
"S–Sleeping Beauty? Kotomi, you really do like to joke around…"
Seiko's cheeks flushed red—whether from Kotomi's words or from how close she suddenly was, she couldn't tell. Aside from Hibiki Naegi, she wasn't used to anyone standing that near.
Sleeping Beauty, huh? Kotomi thought to herself with a small, amused smile but didn't say it out loud, fearing Seiko's blush would deepen even more.
Both Hibiki and Seiko often received love letters at school, yet neither seemed remotely interested in dating anyone.
Kotomi followed Seiko inside, changing into indoor slippers at the entrance. She had been to the Naegi residence once before—back when they had gone to Kyoto together and waited for Hibiki to catch the train to Tokyo.
But this was her first time actually stepping inside.
"Now that I think about it, I feel kind of embarrassed," Seiko said with a shy laugh. "I suddenly called you over even though nothing's really wrong. I just felt… suffocated being alone at home, like the air itself was heavy. Please, sit."
Kotomi sat down beside her on the sofa. "Have you never stayed home alone before, Seiko?"
"I have, but only a few times. The longest was when my sister went to Kyoto with you all. I stayed here alone for three days."
Kotomi smiled. "Did you eat yet? If you haven't, why don't you come to my place for dinner? I can call Naegi-senpai and tell her you're with me."
Kotomi Izumi extended the invitation warmly. She had always believed that no matter what happened, one should eat first. Since Seiko Kirigiri was her classmate and they got along quite well, she couldn't just let her sit at home hungry, waiting for Naegi-senpai to return.
Thinking about it, Kotomi found Hibiki Naegi's behavior rather questionable—leaving her adorable little sister home alone without saying where she was going or who she was meeting. It felt irresponsible, especially coming from someone like her.
After all, everyone who knew Hibiki was aware of how much she adored her sister. Her affection for Seiko was so remarkable that anyone who witnessed it couldn't help but give a thumbs-up in admiration.
Hibiki had even said before, "To me, my little sister is more important than painting. If I ever had to choose between the two, I would give up painting without hesitation."
Considering how much time, effort, and love she had poured into her art over the years, those words carried enormous weight. Anyone who had seen the number of sketchpads, pencils, erasers, brushes, and paints she used each year could easily see how devoted she was.
For someone so passionate about art to say she would abandon it all for her sister spoke volumes about how precious Seiko was to her.
Yet now, that same Hibiki had left Seiko home alone to meet someone—and Kotomi couldn't help but wonder who that person was.
When faced with Kotomi's dinner invitation, Seiko politely declined. "It's alright, thank you, Kotomi. My sister already made dinner before I got home, and I've already eaten. We usually eat pretty early. I was just tidying up the kitchen earlier, but halfway through, I sat down on the sofa for a short break—and somehow, I fell asleep before I knew it."
"I get that, I really do," Kotomi said, nodding in agreement. "You tell yourself you're just taking a ten-minute break, and the next thing you know, half the day's gone."
Then she stood up with a small smile. "Come on, let's clean up the kitchen together. I'll help you."
"There's no need, really! Just sit and talk with me instead—eh…" Seiko panicked slightly. She had been the one to ask Kotomi to come over, so how could she let her guest do housework? Besides, she had already done most of it—only a couple of plates were left unwashed. There was no way she could trouble Kotomi with that.
Seiko quickly grabbed Kotomi's wrist to stop her. She knew Kotomi well enough to realize that if she didn't stop her immediately, she'd really start cleaning. The moment she touched her, though, the soft warmth of Kotomi's skin made Seiko freeze for a heartbeat.
A delicate floral scent lingered in the air—subtle yet distinct. Seiko liked it, though she couldn't tell what kind of flower it was.
"Alright then," Kotomi said with a light shrug, sitting back down. "I'll just sit with you for a while~ You don't have to be so formal, you know. We're not just classmates—we're friends, right?"
Seiko nodded gently, her expression softening into a small smile. "Of course we're friends. If we weren't, I probably wouldn't have had the courage to message you and ask you to come over."
Kotomi chuckled, her tone teasing. "Hearing that makes me so happy. If I end up too happy to sleep tonight, you'll have to take responsibility for that, okay?"
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