Before he could protest, everything suddenly went dark. Yanami rose on tiptoe and pulled a shirt over his head. The refreshing scent of citrus, mixed with new fabric, rushed into his nostrils.
His vision was completely black.
Through the dark cloth, he could faintly make out the moist gleam in the blue-haired girl's eyes.
He hurried into the shirt.
"Hm, the collar seems a size too big."
Yanami pinched a soft measuring tape and pretended to wrap it carefully around his neck, her fingers unconsciously brushing his skin.
Looking down, he could see the girl's soft blue hair and straight nose. Her eyes beneath thick lashes were clear and bright. Kiyono turned his face aside, uncomfortable.
"Are you trying to strangle me with that…? And what's so good about this old-fashioned style anyway?"
He felt the girl's taste in men's clothing wasn't great—at least not for him.
"The size isn't quite right. Let's change it…"
Just then, a bright, sunny voice sounded from the doorway.
"Hakamada Sosuke, as an apology for accidentally letting you get caught in the rain last time… I'll help you pick out a couple of nice outfits!"
As if pricked by a needle, Yanami froze mid-sentence and jolted upright.
She suddenly turned her head to look behind her.
"It's okay, I don't mind," a refreshing male voice replied to the girl. Kiyono and Yanami exchanged a glance, both realizing something, and gasped—falling silent.
"But it's a rare chance, and I want to buy them for you, because Hakamada Sosuke's taste is a little… subtle."
That soft, teasing voice was like a cluster of feathers, tickling one's heart.
A moment later, two people stepped into view: a man and a woman. The man was a clean-cut, athletic type with a sturdy build.
The girl had gentle brows and eyes, a lovely face, and naturally draping pink hair. She carried both the tenderness of a Yamato Nadeshiko and a cheerful enthusiasm—and most striking of all was her nearly perfect figure.
Yanami looked at the pink-haired girl, then at her childhood friend, then at Kiyono. Just as the four were about to cross paths, she didn't panic like last time. Instead, she winked at Kiyono and, feigning seriousness, whispered:
"Should we hide right now?"
"…Why would we hide?" Kiyono whispered back.
"Kiyono, how do you want to introduce yourself?" She met his eyes.
"Of course, as a frie—"
Huh? Why did I hesitate for a second? Big Junior is my own brother!
"Let's observe their situation first!" Seeing his attitude, Yanami smiled, pressed a finger to her lips, and tugged him into the fitting room.
The men's fitting room was tiny, barely enough for two. They inevitably drew closer, close enough to feel the girl's warm breath.
What a textbook romantic comedy unfolding.
Yet neither of them paid attention to the slowly warming air. Yanami eased the curtain open a sliver, observing the scene outside.
…Kiyono couldn't help peeking too.
So this is the legendary 8K, Himemiya Karen.
Come to think of it, this setup is chaos! Yanami's childhood friend is out shopping with some other "sky-falling" type, while Yanami herself is with another guy… Kiyono fell into deep thought.
He didn't dare look too long; they were crammed very close together, and the thin fabric between them couldn't hide the smooth warmth of skin. He retreated to the innermost corner, but her faint fragrance still reached him.
Yanami… what are you thinking right now?
Kiyono's gaze slipped to the mirror beside him. The clear glass reflected the blue-haired girl's fair, lovely profile.
Lemon should have been anxious, uneasy, and self-conscious when facing Asahi—but he didn't see any of that in Yanami.
Is it because she's too slow-witted to register the "8K value"… or is it—
Come to think of it, he'd always felt Yanami's feelings toward her childhood friend were elusive. Sometimes she mentioned him as if she had a crush; other times, as if he were family.
If this were the normal world line's blue-haired girl, she'd be treating him like a trash can right now—complaining about her childhood friend and "Cow Sister."
And the reason she's different now is…
Kiyono lifted his head and murmured:
"Aren't you going to say hello?"
"Us two?"
Yanami turned, blue eyes sparkling in the light.
"What do you think… how should we explain our relationship?"
"Just friends… for now."
---
"Is this place okay?"
After wandering a while, Yanami finally reached the yakiniku restaurant she'd been craving. But when Kiyono saw the prices, he was slightly surprised—the dishes weren't cheap, yet compared to what he'd imagined—Wagyu, black truffles, foie gras, salmon—it was far from extravagant.
"Yes! The reviews here are super high. I've always wanted to try it."
Yanami smiled, eyes narrowing. "Kiyono just got paid—remember to cultivate the habit of saving. Otherwise, what will you do if things go south later!"
Besides, going somewhere ultra-high-end would only highlight the gap between them. Rather than elegant, top-notch cuisine by famed chefs, she preferred rolling grilled meat by hand with Kiyono in a place pleasantly smoky with charcoal.
"Are you cursing me or looking out for me…?" Kiyono sighed, defeated.
The blue-haired girl ignored his protest, eyes gleaming as she pulled out her phone and tried angles for photos. Aside from being especially pretty and especially kind, Yanami was like any other girl.
She liked taking pictures, liked sharing, and gossiped about school. With her, your mood naturally brightened.
The barbecue arrived. After accidentally catching Kiyono's hands in a shot, Yanami swiped and uploaded the photo to her Twitter:
"Hehe, eating barbecue with the legendary Fuyutsuki-sensei!"
Because it had a trending tag, her once-quiet account suddenly gained a few replies.
"Keep dreaming—fantasizing you're a pure high-school girl flirting with the hottest young writer."
"Does Fuyutsuki-sensei know he's dining with you?"
"..."
Hehe.
Yanami's brows arched, and the grilled meat in her mouth tasted three times better.
"Oh right, Kiyono—take a few of me too." As if remembering, she stood and handed him her phone.
"Aren't you already taking them yourself?" Kiyono took the phone, resigned.
"Kiyono, no matter how amazing humans are, we can't snap ourselves while eating…" Yanami lifted a slice of meat and posed. "Coordinate with the lighting, okay."
"How troublesome!"
Kiyono aimed the phone. In the frame, the girl happily ate; the charcoal glowed red; sizzling heat and nearby laughter blended together; her eyes sparkled like stars.
Click. The moment was captured—
—like the colors of summer.
---
After yakiniku, they played in the arcade for a while. By the time they stepped outside, summer dusk had arrived.
"Why does time fly when we didn't even go shopping?" Kiyono was incredulous. Everyone knows time slows to a crawl when guys trail girls through malls—but it was the opposite for him.
"Because we've been eating the whole time. You can't feel time passing when you're eating," Yanami said solemnly.
"Is that a Yanami-style joke?"
Kiyono glanced at her. "What now? Should I pedal you—and the snacks—home first?"
They'd bought a lot at the supermarket.
"Let's go later. I still want a popsicle." She squinted happily.
"You go buy it," Kiyono said.
They sat on a nearby bench and tugged open the popsicle rings.
"Today's the last day of summer vacation." Yanami bit into hers and gently swung her feet.
"Tomorrow is September?" Kiyono sighed, feeling unreal.
"It seems like a rare summer vacation just drifted by, but…"
She tilted her head toward him, her smile like a summer sky.
"I'm very happy."
Nostalgic sweetness spread over her tongue.
Thinking back, they hadn't done anything especially "summer." They'd bought snacks at a supermarket, stumbled into a rom-com accident in a fitting room, and eaten yakiniku…
And yet, in this moment—
He felt that summer was right beside him.
---
Summer vacation ended.
The heat slowly dissipated; autumn's crispness—and loneliness—floated in the air.
In the back kitchen, Komari stood at the cutting board, steadily kneading dough. As she worked, sweat dampened her hair. She wiped her forehead with her arm; a dusting of flour on her fair, delicate face added a touch of cute charm.
She often glanced toward the stove beside her—where Kiyono usually stood—but now seniors rotated through to cover his spot.
She hadn't seen Kiyono recently.
When she came to the restaurant, he was no longer there at all hours; when work was busy, she realized a reliable partner was missing; she no longer saw him huddled in the lounge corner, focused on his laptop.
Komari withdrew her gaze and lowered her eyes in silence.
She felt the place gradually becoming like school—unfamiliar and lonely. And she herself became like she was at school: always looking down, lost in her own world.
—
Today, the sky was overcast with heavy clouds.
"It feels like Kiyono hasn't come by much lately…"
Before the evening shift, a cluster of quirky older sisters lay sprawled over the table, sighing.
Kiyono rarely worked part-time anymore. His original goal had been to get through adolescence smoothly; now that he'd evolved from boyhood to maturity, there was no reason to keep a part-time job—though he still showed up on time to help if the shop was short-staffed.
"It's a little lonely without Kiyono," Yasuda-senpai said, glug-glugging a mouthful of "happy water," her eyes slightly vacant.
Even Yanami's smile was a shade dimmer.
Hearing this, the gloomy girl huddled in the gap, tapping a novel into her phone, paused—her expression complicated.
If she had a best connection here—or rather, if there was anyone she could talk to normally—it was only Kiyono.
Though they hadn't interacted much, she'd grown used to chatting with him from that little gap and secretly watching his movements.
Because she'd been observing him, she was the first to notice the change—but she didn't dare ask why.
In her eyes, she and Kiyono belonged to different worlds. Kiyono was cheerful and popular, loved by everyone; she was gloomy and timid, unable even to speak up. Their interaction had been an accident; now things were merely returning to normal.
Yes—that's all it is.
She kept repeating it to herself.
But… what is this strange feeling?
Faint, not strong—like a ray of sunlight slipping through a crack. You know it's out of reach, but just seeing it warms you. Now that that ray is gone, your heart feels empty.
"A-And… I still haven't confirmed that matter…"
Komari murmured softly.
At that moment, the lounge door swung open.
"…Good evening?"
Everyone looked up in unison.