"It's already been so long since school started, and I still haven't met a single guy who makes my heart skip a beat. Am I really going to spend my entire high school life in this kind of boring loneliness?"
Kuroda Hikari slowly turned her head, glancing at Kanroji Nanami who sat behind her. Her eyes were filled with disappointment and frustration.
"A whole month has gone by already... When is my bright and passionate youth going to finally begin?"
Hearing Hikari's grumbling, Nanami didn't feel much of anything in particular.
It was just... well, Hikari getting impatient about not having a boyfriend after only a month of school — that was something Nanami couldn't quite understand. Everyone was still just getting to know each other. Who even confesses that quickly anyway?
Hikari's gaze swept over the boys in their class for a moment — but just as quickly moved on. Not a single one caught her eye or made her heart flutter.
"So far, it's only Setsuna who's got herself a boyfriend, right? And even on weekends, she hardly ever goes out... probably holed up together with him. Ugh, so jealous... If only I had a boyfriend too! We'd stick together all the time, take cute selfies constantly, and I'd totally show them off to you!"
"And that," Nanami propped her cheek against her hand, glancing at the dreamy look on Hikari's face, "is exactly why it's probably better you don't have a boyfriend yet. I doubt the rest of us would get any peace if you did."
Nanami cast a quick glance toward Setsuna, who was sitting a little ways away, along with Sekai beside her. Somehow, Nanami couldn't help but be a little curious.
"Setsuna might have a boyfriend... but we barely ever see them together."
"Probably because he's super handsome," Hikari chimed in. "If I had a boyfriend that good-looking, I wouldn't want him hanging around in front of other girls either. What if someone tried to steal him?"
Both girls had seen Miyamizu Haruto, Setsuna's boyfriend, at least once — and just thinking about him made Hikari's expression twist in envy.
"True enough..." Nanami nodded slightly. As ridiculous as most of Hikari's ideas were, she could kind of understand that last part. Having a boyfriend like that probably was a lot of pressure for Setsuna.
As Setsuna quietly organized her notes, she seemed to sense the gazes aimed her way. Slowly, she lifted her head — only to meet the staring eyes of Hikari and Nanami.
Neither of them looked remotely embarrassed about being caught. Nanami gave a small, friendly smile. Hikari, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes sharply, as if trying to read the secret behind how Setsuna managed to snag such an amazing boyfriend.
"..."
Not knowing why they were staring at her, Setsuna simply lowered her head again, unfazed, and went back to her notes.
After school, Hikari dragged Nanami along with her over to where Setsuna and Sekai were standing. Katsura Kotonoha had already left early that day to take care of her younger sister, so it was just the four of them now.
"If it were me, I wouldn't have the patience for that," Hikari commented, watching Kotonoha's retreating figure. "Having to rush home every day to take care of your little sister? That'd drive me crazy."
Then, turning her attention back to Setsuna, she casually asked, "Hey, Setsuna — got any plans after school today?"
"Not really," Setsuna replied plainly.
"Then let's go visit your boyfriend's school! Isn't he at Toyosaki High?"
That sudden suggestion made both Sekai and Nanami perk up in interest. Their eyes naturally turned to Setsuna, waiting to see her reaction.
As always, Setsuna's expression was calm and unreadable — but she did seem a little surprised by the proposal.
"Why so sudden?" she asked.
"Isn't it obvious? It'd be super fun!" Hikari grinned. "If the four of us showed up at Toyosaki together, we'd totally attract a lot of attention. And if we walked home with your boyfriend after that, no other girls would dare go near him again, right?"
It... did sound tempting. Even Sekai, standing nearby, felt a little swayed by the idea. After all, she'd been worried too — worried about what Haruto might be doing at school, away from her and Setsuna's watchful eyes.
Setsuna, however, remained perfectly composed.
"No."
A flat-out rejection.
"Eh? Why not?" Hikari blinked, clearly not expecting to be turned down so bluntly.
Nanami was a little surprised too. She actually thought it was kind of a fun idea.
"Because it would trouble Haruto," Setsuna answered quietly.
"..."
Hikari fell silent for a moment, staring at Setsuna's blank, expressionless face. After a while, she slowly nodded.
"Okay... fair enough. Forget I said anything."
Nanami couldn't help but be curious.
"You're giving up just like that?"
"Well, if Setsuna says she doesn't want to cause trouble for her boyfriend, then there's no point in pushing it, is there?" Hikari shrugged with a carefree smile.
She wasn't the type to force things, especially when she could tell Setsuna was being completely sincere — straightforward and honest in her answer. Faced with someone like that, even Hikari didn't have anything else to say.
Sekai, standing to the side, had been about to speak up — but seeing how quickly Hikari dropped the idea, she swallowed her words before they could leave her lips.
"So... what are we doing after school today then?"
"I recently found this new place, and their cakes are just…"
The conversation naturally shifted to another topic. Watching Kuroda Hikari talk non-stop, Setsuna quietly listened, occasionally nodding in agreement. Soon after, their group headed off towards the cake shop Hikari mentioned…
_ _ _ _
Staring in shock at the countless photos covering the walls, Haruto stood frozen in the dimly-lit clubroom, his lips trembling slightly, unable to utter a single word.
Only when he heard movement behind him did he finally snap out of his numb, dazed state.
Slowly turning around, he saw a petite girl standing silently in the doorway, backlit by the faint light outside. She wore an orange hoodie with the hood up, making it hard to see her face clearly in the darkness.
"…You've noticed, haven't you?"
Her voice wasn't as childish as her small frame might suggest, though it still carried a touch of youthful inexperience. The slightly familiar voice echoed within the room, but for the moment, Haruto couldn't recall where he'd heard it before.
The girl slowly stepped into the room, shutting the door behind her.
This clubroom was unusually dark — all the windows tightly covered by heavy curtains. With the last sliver of light cut off, Haruto could barely see a thing, feeling almost as helpless as if he were blind.
He stood there, unsure how to react as the blurry figure gradually approached him.
The girl, clearly more accustomed to moving in the dark, soon closed the distance and stopped just a few steps in front of him.
"Surprised?"
"…'Surprised' doesn't even begin to cover it. I'm practically terrified at this point."
Squinting hard just to keep track of her faint silhouette, Haruto turned his head toward the wall. But without the light from the door, he couldn't see anything now.
Still, even without seeing, he couldn't shake the image burned deep into his mind — what he'd seen just moments ago.
The entire wall was covered — absolutely plastered — with photos of him.
Pictures from school, during class, while hanging out, sitting on the rooftop bench, working in the lab holding a beaker, eating lunch in the courtyard… countless photos taken without his knowledge, covering every moment of his daily life.
"…Since when?" he asked, his voice low.
"Since the start of the semester. I noticed you were at the same school… and I just couldn't help myself."
"…I see."
The realization that someone had been watching him since the very beginning left Haruto momentarily speechless.
"…Could you turn the light on?" he asked eventually.
"I could… but are you sure you want me to?"
The girl took a final step closer — and before Haruto could react, she stretched out her small arms and hugged him tightly around the waist.
Due to her short height, she could barely reach his chest, even on tiptoe.
Being suddenly hugged like this by a girl, Haruto didn't feel particularly flustered. Instead, he reached out a hand, gently patting her hooded head.
"Uh… don't tell me you're doing all this because you like me or something?"
"Yeah. Ever since the first time I met you… I liked you. I couldn't control my feelings, so I followed you around… and ended up taking all those pictures."
Even as she hugged him, her small hands were moving restlessly along his back, causing a strange, ticklish sensation. With a helpless sigh, Haruto grabbed her slender arms and gently pulled away from her embrace.
"If you've been following me for that long, then… you should already know I have a girlfriend, right?"
"I know."
"…Then—"
"I know about Kiyoura Setsuna. I know about Saionji Sekai too. And, um… even about Kiyoura Mai…"
"Cough cough—"
Her words made Haruto choke awkwardly. He glanced around in the darkness, then began feeling along the wall for the light switch.
Click—
With a soft sound, the room was suddenly bathed in light. The abrupt brightness forced Haruto to squint, shielding his eyes.
When he looked again, he finally saw the girl standing there.
"Koharu Otori. Second year."
A petite girl who looked nothing like someone his senior — in fact, she could easily pass for a middle schooler, maybe even younger.
Her orange hoodie, childish face, and long white braided hair only added to that impression.
Yet… she was a second-year student — one year above him.
Slowly, fragments of memory resurfaced in Haruto's mind.
"Uh… how many times have we met now?" he asked cautiously.
"If you count actually talking… this is the third time."
"Right… I vaguely remember now."
"The first time was near Korakuen — when you caught my hat that blew away. The second time was at school, when you helped me buy a drink. And now, this is the third."
She recited their past encounters one by one, leaving Haruto recalling bits and pieces. After all, a white-haired loli was pretty unforgettable — but during their second meeting, he hadn't paid much attention.
"…Okay, yeah. I remember now. Well then — just to confirm something…"
"My missing underwear… the photos and white stockings stuffed in my desk and shoe locker… that was you, right?"
"Yeah."
She admitted it instantly, without the slightest hesitation.
Haruto, who had braced himself for excuses or denial, felt like he'd just punched cotton — all the things he'd planned to say stuck awkwardly in his throat.
"I have a girlfriend," he reminded her weakly.
"I know."
"…"
He opened his mouth, then closed it again. Honestly, from the way things were going, it was clear this girl already knew everything about him. What more was there to say?
"…So what exactly are you after? Don't tell me you're planning to blackmail me into dating you or something?"
As soon as he said that, he saw Koharu Otori's eyes widen slightly — like she was genuinely surprised by the idea.
Then… after staring at him for a while, her expression shifted subtly. She shook her head slowly, as if giving up on the thought.