It was already past seven in the evening when Minamoto Senya returned home under the night sky.
That morning, he had gone out early with the intention of sparring with Saeko to keep his kendo sharp and prepare for the upcoming Yulong Flag tournament a month away.
But instead, she dragged him into her room, and things completely derailed.
The two of them spent the whole morning together, shameless and indulgent.
Later, after they had showered, Saeko even slipped on nothing but lingerie under an apron and said she would make him a proper meal.
But with Saeko's figure and looks, who on earth could resist that kind of play?
Naturally, they ended up fooling around in the kitchen for quite a while.
Big houses really did have their perks—with a courtyard wall blocking the view, there was no risk of being seen.
In the end, Senya didn't even eat lunch there, just grabbed some bread from her fridge and nibbled it down before leaving.
And so, an entire morning passed without him practicing a single swing.
Women's charms really do ruin men.
That afternoon, he still had work to do—but today's schedule was different from his usual business matters.
His personal assistant, Kudō Miyoko, picked him up. Their destination: a children's welfare home, where he would volunteer.
This was something Tōma Yōko had suggested to him. In her view, once someone gained fame, doing charity and giving back to society was undeniably a good thing.
From a practical perspective, it polished one's public image.
But the reality was, people in need would genuinely benefit.
A gentleman is judged by his actions, not his motives. Even if charity was partly for self-satisfaction, as long as good was done, it was good.
Senya thought Yōko's reasoning made perfect sense.
Lately, he had been so caught up with work and life that he had neglected this side of things. But when reminded, he realized he had the ability now to help others.
So he agreed readily, even buying books, toys, and snacks to deliver.
Unexpectedly, after picking him up, Kudō Miyoko didn't drive straight there.
She made a small detour and picked up Yukinoshita Haruka as well.
So, for the entire afternoon of volunteer work, Haruka was by his side.
She also brought a gift for the children: a brand-new electronic piano.
At first, Senya assumed that with her cold and aloof personality, she wouldn't know how to interact with the kids.
But the moment she casually demonstrated a piece on the piano, the children's eyes lit up.
"Big sis!" "You're amazing!" they cheered, crowding around her with sparkling admiration.
Haruka quickly found herself surrounded, smiling faintly as she entertained them, her usual icy demeanor melting into warmth.
By evening, they stayed and ate dinner with the children at the home.
Kudō Miyoko captured countless heartwarming moments with her camera.
It was satisfying, seeing those smiles—but there was still work to be done. She would later reach out to media contacts and make sure news of Senya's charity work reached the public.
All in all, it was a full day.
He had satisfied Saeko's long-suppressed cravings in the morning.
He had witnessed the innocent gratitude of children in the afternoon.
And he had spent an entire half-day with Haruka—something that hadn't happened in a long time.
Truly, a fulfilling day.
But now, standing before his family's front gate, Senya hesitated.
Out in the world, everything had gone smoothly.
But at home… the matter of Tōka remained unknown.
He had carefully crafted that fake diary, deliberately scratching his back in her presence over the past few days—planting the subconscious idea that she should change his bedsheets for him.
That way, she would "discover" his secret, just as he intended.
So far, everything had gone according to plan.
In his scenario, once Tōka realized he liked her, there would be no way for her to avoid it, and she would inevitably change.
He was sixty to seventy percent confident that her attitude toward him would shift in the direction he wanted.
But there was still the matter of what else he had written. Beyond confessing his feelings, he had also laid bare certain other… thoughts.
That part made him anxious.
Still, things had gone too far already. Worrying now wouldn't help.
What mattered was moving forward.
Taking a deep breath, Senya pushed open the door, shook off the useless thoughts, and stepped inside.
"I'm home."
Despite his tension, he made sure to sound exactly as he did every day.
"Welcome back, Senya!"
As always, Rikka was the first to bounce over and greet him.
On her head, she wore a hairband she'd bought earlier that day with friends. Tiny butterflies and bees, fixed with delicate wire, bobbed with each step she took—cute and whimsical.
"You're back a little early today."
"Yeah, work wrapped up sooner than usual."
"What kind of work was it?"
As Senya sat on the bench to change shoes, Rikka crouched down and placed his slippers in front of him.
"A charity thing, actually. Went to the children's welfare home."
"Oh—you were doing volunteer work?"
"Mm."
"Ehh!? Why didn't you tell me!? If I'd known, I wouldn't have gone out with my friends today! I wanted to do something for those kids too!"
"It's enough that you feel that way. There'll be chances in the future."
He ruffled her hair and headed into the living room with her.
"Welcome home, Senya. You worked hard today," his mother, Ayame, said gently, just coming out of the bedroom after putting baby Chiyo down to sleep.
Her warmth eased the tension in Senya's chest.
No matter what, family was still family. Even if things went wrong with Tōka, they wouldn't completely collapse.
That thought comforted him.
After a brief chat with his mother, she returned to her room.
Then Senya sat in the living room with Rikka, feeding their pet crow, Dark Wing.
And that was when Tōka descended from the second floor.
The crucial moment had arrived.
How would she react after reading his "diary" and seeing him now?
Senya sat calmly on the sofa, though his heartbeat quickened.
"You're back. Have you eaten?"
Surprisingly—or perhaps not—Tōka acted completely normal.
As always, the first thing she asked was whether he had eaten on time, worried about his health.
"He already did!" Rikka answered brightly. "He ate at the children's welfare home with the kids!"
"The children's welfare home?" Tōka looked faintly surprised.
"Mm." Senya nodded and briefly explained.
"I see…" Tōka tucked her hair behind her ear and leaned against the sofa back, standing behind him. "That sounds meaningful."
"Right, Onee-chan? I thought so too!" Rikka beamed. "I already told Senya next time he has to take me along. You should come too!"
"If I have time, I'll go," Tōka said mildly. Doing good deeds was certainly better than Rikka's usual obsession with odd clothes and strange collectibles.
"Oh, right, Senya. I changed your sheets today," Tōka added casually.
She brought it up herself? That surprised him—but it was also the sort of thing he would notice immediately upon entering his room, so it made sense for her to preempt it.
If she mentioned it outright, he wouldn't suspect she had found his diary.
Smart move.
Then what should his reaction be?
"…Thanks. You only changed the sheets and duvet cover, right?"
His tone carried just a faint edge of nervousness.
"I also aired out the duvet and pillows," she replied naturally. "Your room should smell of sunlight tonight—it'll be comfortable."
"Unfair!" Rikka pouted. "Why didn't you do mine too?"
"You're not busy like Senya," Tōka shot back. "If you have time to run around with friends, you can change your own sheets."
The sisters bickered lightly.
"I'm going upstairs for a bit," Senya said, rising.
He moved normally at first, but once on the stairs, his steps quickened noticeably.
Only then did Tōka's calm mask flicker into slight worry.
But she reassured herself—she had returned the diary exactly as she'd found it. There was no way he would know.
And sure enough, moments later, Senya came back down, visibly calmer than before.
He had checked. He was reassured.
Feigning nonchalance, he sat again, but his mind turned.
Tōka's composure was remarkable.
That could be taken as a good sign—that even after learning the truth, she still didn't dislike him, still wanted to interact as always.
Or it could mean her calm was just an act, like when she had casually mentioned the bedding earlier.
Either way, it left him unsettled.
He could have accepted a clearly positive reaction, or even outright rejection.
But this—this unchanged, unreadable attitude—was the hardest of all to interpret.
If that was the case, then he would just have to find ways to test her.
But carefully. Naturally. Nothing too abrupt, or she might catch on.
The evening passed, Ayame and Rikka went to bathe and then to their rooms.
Left alone in the living room with Tōka, she spoke first:
"Senya, you go ahead and bathe."
He nodded, showered, and soon came back out.
Instead of heading upstairs, though, he sat back down, drying his hair with a blow dryer as he watched TV.
Tōka emerged from the bathroom soon after, her hair damp.
"Let me do that," he offered, standing.
She shook her head. "No, I'll handle it myself."
"Come on. Think of it as payback for changing my sheets."
Ignoring her protest, Senya moved behind her, turned on the dryer, and gently ran his fingers through her hair as he dried it.
She didn't resist. She simply sat there, calm and elegant, like the perfect picture of refinement.
And yet her figure—slim waist, full chest, soft curves—added an unconscious, natural allure.
Senya admired her quiet beauty, but made no untoward moves. He simply dried her hair with care.
"All done," he said, switching off the dryer.
"Thank you," she murmured, touching her smooth hair. "Are you going back to watch TV?"
"No. Just needed a little break. I should get back to writing."
As she took the dryer from him, she noticed the way he rubbed his brow, his vague expression of fatigue.
"Are you getting a headache?" she asked, a note of concern in her voice.
"I'm fine," he replied with a faint smile. "I'll head upstairs."
"Don't overdo it. Rest early if you're tired."
"Got it."
Back in his room, Senya sat at his desk, replaying his small "performance" in his head.
How would Tōka respond? Would she bring him fruit, or maybe warm milk?
Whatever it was, as long as she still showed she cared, that was enough.
And indeed, less than fifteen minutes later, there was a knock.
But when Tōka entered, she wasn't carrying anything.
Instead, she crossed the room and sat on his bed, looking at him with a mix of hesitation and determination.
Finally, she spoke.
"Earlier… you looked like you had a headache. I read online that scalp massage can relieve pressure and help circulation. Do you… want me to try?"
Senya blinked at her, momentarily stunned.
She flushed faintly but pressed on, "If not, I'll just go back to my room."
"Yes!" The word burst out before he could stop himself, his tone a little too excited. Quickly, he softened it. "…I mean, please. I'd appreciate it."
"Then come here," Tōka said softly, patting the spot beside her on the bed.