When it came to other people, Sekai probably wouldn't care too much. But Katsura Kotonoha...
As her classmate, someone who had become her friend when she started high school, Sekai's feelings toward Kotonoha were complicated—she wasn't exactly sure what she truly felt inside.
There was a little envy, some jealousy, but no matter what, she couldn't help but care about her.
Compared to other girls, Kotonoha was dazzlingly exceptional—her sweet, delicate features, elegant aura, and perfect figure made her the ideal "Yamato Nadeshiko" in any boy's eyes. And her family background was equally remarkable.
Whenever Sekai noticed the way the boys in class looked at Kotonoha, she couldn't help but worry—was Haruto looking at her the same way? Did he see Kotonoha with those special eyes?
Deep down, Sekai knew she wasn't Haruto's official girlfriend, but when she was with Setsuna, she felt at least somewhat confident—though when compared to Kotonoha, her mood inevitably grew heavy.
"I definitely have some interest in her. To say I don't care about her at all would be a lie. But honestly… it's not that strong."
Haruto smiled slightly, closing the menu in front of him and quietly pressing the service bell. The waiter soon appeared and took their orders. Once the waiter left the room, Haruto's gaze returned to Sekai.
"The last time I saw her outside, she was with a little girl who looked somewhat similar but seemed to have a different personality. Probably her younger sister—Katsura Kokoro, right?"
"That's her name. Why?"
Sekai had stayed over at Kotonoha's house before and remembered meeting Kokoro. At school, she often heard Kotonoha talk about her little sister, so she wasn't unfamiliar with the girl. She liked Kokoro quite a lot.
Unlike her shy and gentle older sister, Kokoro was lively and outgoing. She wasn't as reserved around strangers as Kotonoha was. The two sisters were completely opposite in personality.
Even Sekai sometimes found herself quietly marveling at this contrast.
"We talked about how Yotsuha came to Tokyo and became friends with Kokoro, so I was a little concerned about it. But lately, I haven't seen her much. And I don't even know when Yotsuha will come to Tokyo—probably not anytime soon."
Sekai glanced at Haruto thoughtfully. He had told her before that he had two younger sisters, Mitsuha and Yotsuha.
Mitsuha came to Tokyo during the last holiday, but Sekai never got to meet or talk to her. Now, hearing Haruto mention this again, she found herself quietly caring about it.
"Is it just because of that? Or are you interested in Kotonoha because she's cute?"
Sekai's voice carried a sharp edge as she teased Haruto—women were always sensitive about these things.
Haruto caught the small jealousy on her face and smiled gently.
"Sekai, aren't you cute too?"
"..."
If this had come from any other guy, Sekai would have felt weird or even disgusted. But hearing it from Haruto, her cheeks flushed, and she lightly tapped the table to hide her shyness.
"Don't change the subject!"
"Honestly, I'm not that interested because she's not interested in me."
Haruto took a sip of tea and answered calmly. But Sekai found the reply hard to understand.
"So you're saying because she's not interested in you, you're not interested in her either? Then if Kotonoha was interested in you, you'd be interested in her too?"
"Maybe."
"What kind of answer is that... I don't get what you're trying to say."
Sekai sighed, feeling like she understood a little but still didn't quite get it. She lowered her head in silence, losing interest in the topic.
Haruto looked at her quiet figure and didn't know what to say.
"Hey, what do you think of my mom?"
"Huh? You mean Yoko-san?"
"Yeah."
Sekai lowered her head, hesitated a moment, then met Haruto's eyes. She bit her lip and asked the question she'd been holding inside.
"Do you think she causes you a lot of trouble? Do you find her annoying?"
"Not really. I wouldn't say I hate her, but she's a bit too enthusiastic sometimes—it can be a little hard to take."
Haruto's expression shifted as he recalled past events. Meeting just one Mai was one thing, but then adding Yoko on top of that was almost overwhelming—even for someone young, energy wasn't unlimited.
"Not annoying?"
"Not annoying. Why? Is that what's bothering you?"
Haruto gave the answer quietly, seeing Sekai's conflicted expression. He roughly understood her feelings but didn't really like Yoko. They'd only met twice, so calling it "liking" would be too shallow. Though they had an unexpectedly deep connection for just two meetings, Haruto wasn't sure how to describe his feelings about her.
He glanced away for a moment, thinking about those encounters, then looked back at Sekai.
Even mother and daughter could be very different.
Sekai's purpose in asking was probably to gauge Haruto's feelings toward Yoko. He simply said he didn't dislike her, but he couldn't say he liked her either.
After hearing this, Sekai fell silent for a long time.
They finished dinner at the restaurant. Haruto paid the bill and walked Sekai back to her apartment building.
Looking at her standing there, he smiled softly.
"Well then, I'll be heading home."
"Why don't you come in and rest for a bit?"
"Yoko-san probably heading home soon. I shouldn't bother. I still have some things to take care of. I'll go first."
Thinking of Yoko, Haruto gently refused Sekai's invitation. Seeing the regret on her face, he quietly watched her for a moment before turning away.
_ _ _ _
"I think I understand this question and this one now."
Later, on Saturday, Haruto and Nakano Itsuki sat together in a restaurant. Haruto glanced at Itsuki, who was trying to understand what he'd explained earlier. Did she understand even a fifth of it?
He sighed silently but stopped himself before it slipped out, pressing his lips together with a faint smile.
Seeing Haruto smile at her, Satsuki's heart skipped a beat, and she quietly looked away.
She didn't delude herself into thinking he smiled because he liked her. Every time he explained something and she only caught a small part of it, she saw that tired, helpless smile from him. Over time, she couldn't help but feel a strange guilt.
"So, is there anything else you don't understand?"
"Um…"
Itsuki hesitated, then spoke up about parts she still didn't get. Haruto listened and explained a bit more.
They'd been meeting like this every Saturday after school for some time.
"Sorry to keep bothering you. How about I treat you next time?"
After tutoring from around noon until two in the afternoon, Haruto slumped in his seat. Itsuki saw his exhausted expression and felt even more guilty.
"I'm done for today. I have other things to do. I'll head out."
"Okay…"
Itsuki watched him stand and leave with a sigh of relief, then lowered her head. Thinking about her improving grades and Haruto's suffering, she felt increasingly indebted.
'If there's anything I can do to help him...'
She looked toward the door, but he was already gone. She pressed her lips tightly and made a silent promise to herself.
After leaving the restaurant, Haruto went home for a while and rested on his balcony. He wondered whether Setsuna was home or still with Sekai but didn't want to contact either of them.
He glanced up at the sky, then quietly left his apartment, heading toward a familiar place.
After exiting the subway station, he walked through the crowded streets, politely declining some girls' invitations. Finally, he entered a manga café and sat down in a corner.
Pouring himself a cup of self-serve coffee, he stared at the drink, unfamiliar with the different types of coffee. After a moment of puzzling over their differences, he gave up.
Opening a manga, Haruto quietly read in the corner.
Hours passed—3 p.m., 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 7 p.m.—but the familiar figure never appeared.
At 8 p.m., when the night had already deepened, after receiving a call from Mai and a message from Setsuna, Haruto wondered whether he should go back.
Then, a familiar silhouette appeared at the entrance.
Seeing the girl's tired expression, Haruto quietly watched from the corner.
She entered the café, and in the blink of an eye, her eyes caught his familiar figure. Thinking it might be a trick of her eyes, she turned to look again.
There he was—quietly sitting in the corner.
Surprised, she slowly walked over and sat down beside him.
"Were you waiting for me?"
"Yeah. You just got off work?"
"Yeah, I've been working part-time at a restaurant. The lunch-to-afternoon shift. It gets really busy."
Mito Yuka looked at the boy in front of her, and despite the weariness in her body, a gentle smile naturally spread across her face. In her difficult life, the only time things didn't feel so painful or overwhelming was when she was with him. Just sitting quietly by his side seemed to bring a sense of calm to her heart.
"What about dinner?" she asked.
"Not yet."
"Let's eat together?"
"Sure."
Conversations with Yuka were always brief, but they felt different from the ones he had with Setsuna. Haruto couldn't quite put the feeling into words. But whenever he was with Yuka, it was as if something missing deep inside him was quietly being filled.
Yuka went to her private booth for a moment to put her things away, then returned and met up with Haruto again. The two of them left the manga café and headed to a nearby restaurant, where they found a quiet place to sit down.
They each ordered different set meals, and while they waited for the food to arrive, Haruto found his eyes drawn to the girl across from him. Watching her in that brief moment of stillness, he quietly reached into his pocket.
From it, he pulled out an envelope—and gently placed it on the table in front of her.