Feeling a heavy burden on his body, Haruto slowly opened his eyes. What greeted him was a curtain of fluffy long hair. However, compared to the hairstyles he was familiar with, this long hair felt strangely unfamiliar to him.
His mind was still in a haze, lying quietly on the bed. As he felt the weight of an arm and body on top of him, his brain struggled to make sense of it. It wasn't until he experienced sharp pains in his head that he realized something was wrong, but the throbbing pain dulled his ability to react.
Slowly, he pulled his right hand, which was trapped under the silky smooth weight, free. Haruto sat up little by little, glancing at the unfamiliar figure beside him, along with another figure he found oddly familiar. He opened his mouth, only to stop himself before he could speak.
Gradually, the fog in his memory began to clear. Although parts of it remained unclear, he could now roughly understand what had happened. He closed his eyes as he gazed at the two figures beside him.
"Mm—"
A soft murmur broke the silence. Lying on his left side, Mai slowly opened her eyes. Feeling something resting on her stomach, she trembled, lifting her eyelids. She first saw the flat stomach and then slowly shifted her gaze upward, where she saw Haruto's face, full of thought and internal struggle.
The chaotic and wild memories slowly resurfaced in her mind. She blushed slightly and then closed her eyes again, pretending to still be asleep, lying quietly in the bed.
Upon hearing the soft murmur from Haruto, Mai's trembling eyelashes caught his attention. He could tell she was awake, but didn't want to acknowledge it just yet. Haruto couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.
He tried to check the time but realized he couldn't find his phone. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he glanced at the two figures beside him. Slowly, he leaned forward and brought his face close to Mai's ear.
"Are you awake?"
Noticing Mai's body tremble at the sound of his voice and feeling the touch on her skin, Haruto, in a complicated and frustrated mood, slowly retreated back into the bed.
"You young people really have different stamina. No wonder Setsuna and Sekai like you so much."
Yoko woke up at that moment. Mai, still covering her lips with both hands, couldn't help but let out a soft moan. Yoko saw the scene with a somewhat amused look, not shying away from it, and smiled, watching Mai's expression change from embarrassment to confusion.
As Yoko looked at Mai, she, too, felt a surge of something.
After taking a quick shower in the hotel's bathroom, Haruto returned to the room and dressed. He glanced at the time on his phone but didn't feel the need to respond to Yoko's mood.
9:27
At this point, even if he hurried to school, it would be too late. The morning was a lost cause, and though he still had afternoon classes, he felt a bit exhausted. His gaze shifted to Mai, who had just stepped out of the bathroom wearing a white bathrobe.
"Don't you have work today?"
"I'm late, but it's not a big deal. It only takes a bit of time to get to the office from here."
"Now's the perfect time to leave; after all, I run a restaurant, and lunchtime is when we get busy."
Mai frowned slightly as she glanced at the time. She was also late, but since she wasn't a regular employee, being two or three hours late wasn't a huge problem.
Yoko, who ran a restaurant, was even less concerned with time. Even if she went in the afternoon, it wouldn't be an issue.
Haruto, now fully dressed, approached the hotel's floor-to-ceiling window. Staring out at the view, he sighed.
"I have something to take care of, so I'll leave first. You two can handle the rest."
Turning back to look at Mai and Yoko, Haruto didn't know what else to talk about. What he thought would be a simple meal had turned into a drunken night with the two women. He, a normal guy, had found himself caught up in such a situation. He couldn't describe how he felt—heavy and drained, he left the hotel and headed back to his apartment.
The two women, after tidying up, went their separate ways to work, each heading to their respective offices and restaurants.
"Yes, I think I've caught a cold. Sorry for the late notice. I understand, yes."
After calling Shin Fukuhara to take the afternoon off, Haruto decided not to go to school. Sitting alone in his room, he sighed quietly. Staring at his desk, he opened his computer and casually browsed through a well-known anonymous website.
As he read the trending topics and looked at various answers, he reflected on the current trends in society. His mind drifted toward his next work.
"I didn't expect this... but I don't know what would work."
Sitting at his desk, Haruto felt an empty space in his mind. Nothing seemed to come to him. It felt as if he had been emptied out, with no inspiration or drive to write.
"Maybe I could start something in the style of Sakura Society, for women, or perhaps a romance story?"
Remembering a recent conversation with Mari, he picked up his phone and dialed her number.
Mari, who was working on finalizing publication details in her office, glanced at her phone when she saw Haruto's name and answered, a bit surprised.
"Is this Haruto-kun?"
"Yes, I just wanted to ask about the publishing status."
"We've already taken care of everything. Your book should be in stores next week. Oh, and the sample will be sent tomorrow... never mind, I'll just drop it off myself after work."
Upon hearing Mari mention meeting him in person, Haruto, already feeling some aversion to adult women, almost hesitated. But then, remembering their normal relationship, he brushed aside his worries.
"Thanks, I appreciate it."
"No problem, but have you thought of anything for your next work?"
"Not yet. I've thought of a few things, but nothing seems special."
"You just published one. No need to rush the next one. When inspiration comes, you'll know what to do."
"Yeah."
After chatting with Mari for a bit, Haruto hung up. He sat at his desk, staring at his computer for a moment, then got up.
After being force-fed alcohol the previous night and skipping breakfast, his stomach was empty. Feeling low on energy, he decided to fill up before thinking about anything else.
_ _ _ _
"Did your mom not come home last night?"
Sekai glanced at Setsuna during lunch. They had moved their desks together, and Yoko was now looking at Setsuna with a somewhat strange expression, squinting as she tried to recall last night's events.
In the afternoon, Sekai's mother suddenly called, saying she had something to do and wouldn't be home, and that she could come to her if anything happened.
At the same time, Setsuna received a similar call from her own mother, saying she wouldn't be home due to some business.
Although this wasn't unusual, Setsuna still found herself wondering. When she arrived at Haruto's apartment, only to find he wasn't home, and considering their mothers weren't back either, her mind couldn't help but wander. She bit her lip, looking at Sekai with a serious expression.
Sekai, too, felt a strange and absurd idea forming in her mind. She sat quietly, thinking, but couldn't quite understand how such an absurd situation could happen.
The two girls at school couldn't focus on anything, only wanting to confirm what had really happened with Haruto.
In the afternoon, they both went to his apartment. Haruto, who had been sitting at his desk watching trending videos online, was interrupted by the doorbell.
He got up, walked to the door, and opened it, greeted by the sight of the two girls standing there, their expressions serious. Haruto wasn't particularly surprised. After all, Mai had told him not to worry, but Setsuna and Sekai were no fools. They must have noticed something.
"Come in."
He returned to his desk and sat down, as the two girls entered. They sat down at the table, and Haruto poured tea for them before sitting down as well.
"You have something you want to ask?"
"Yes."
Sekai glanced at Setsuna before looking back at Haruto. She suddenly wondered if being so direct was impulsive, fearing that he might misunderstand, but she still wanted an answer. Her gaze settled on Haruto.
"Last night, both Setsuna's mom and mine weren't home. You... weren't home either, right?"
In the morning, both Setsuna and Sekai had knocked on Haruto's door, but there had been no answer. They went to school but hadn't seen him on the way, leading Sekai to this conclusion.
Lifting his tea cup, Haruto glanced at the two girls. He didn't know how to answer them but felt there was no need to hide the truth. After all, he wasn't the one who planned this. He might even be the victim in this situation. But...
"It's not that I hasn't come back. I was out having dinner with someone. After drinking a little too much, I ended up passing out, and didn't wake up until noon."
"It's with...our mothers, right?"
Sekai sighed, instinctively pressing her hand to her forehead. Her head lowered, her expression complex.
Her emotions were tangled. She didn't know about the situation between Setsuna and Mai. She only became aware of the developments because of an accidental connection, and something about it didn't feel right. That's why she chose to come and ask the Haruto about it. But she never expected to get such an answer.
As she recalled her own relationship with her mother and then thought about what her mother was doing now, a bitter feeling welled up inside her. Sitting there in silence, she no longer knew what to say. She was unable to think, caught in a haze of confusion and silence.
Setsuna, on the other hand, seemed to have a better ability to process such things. At least she had already experienced something similar before. Even if it was another instance of this kind of situation, it wasn't her mother. Her reaction wasn't as intense as Sekai's.
Her gaze shifted to the Haruto's face. She glanced at Sekai, who sat beside her looking uncomprehending, and then, deep in thought, Sekai spoke.
"But... my mother... how could something like this happen?"
Her voice trembled, filled with an unwillingness to accept the truth. But despite that, she raised her head to meet the sage's eyes.
The Haruto simply looked at her calmly.
"..."
Sekai silently stood up, grabbed her bag, and left the room. Her figure disappeared under Setsuna's watchful gaze. Setsuna sat quietly, staring at Sekai's retreating form before turning back to the Haruto.
"Aren't you going to try to comfort her?"
"Nobody comforted me back then," came the Setsuna's soft response.
Those words caused the Haruto to fall into silence, his gaze drifting away.
With a quiet sigh, Setsuna stood up and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window. He opened it just a crack, letting the warm breeze brush against her face as she watched Sekai's retreating figure down the street. She was probably going back to confirm things with her mother.
"What are you going to do about Sekai's situation?" Setsuna asked.
Haruto, sitting in the room, paused when he heard Setsuna's question. His mind shifted into deeper thought.
"I don't think I can do anything about it. It's up to Sekai to convince herself."
Lifting his tea cup, he took a small sip as the gentle breeze flowed in, its warmth soft on his face. He glanced at Setsuna, who stood at the window, bathed in sunlight. Slowly, closing his eyes and sighed softly.
This was a matter that only Sekai could truly resolve. No one else could really guide her through it.