In front of the café near Toyogasaki Academy's gates
Most of the school clubs had already wrapped up their activities for the day. In a way, this was when school truly ended.
Students like Katou Megumi, who didn't belong to any clubs, were rare.
Thanks to a message from Kyousuke earlier, Eriri and Kasumigaoka came directly to the café after their club meetings to meet up.
They weren't planning on eating here, though—it was just a designated meeting point.
Eriri had no intention of being seen too chummy with that black-haired, red-eyed snow maiden.
If her classmates got the wrong idea and thought they were friends, it'd be a disaster.
She might not be able to drink cola for three days from sheer depression.
"I'm really happy to get to meet Sawamura-san and Kasumigaoka-senpai, and even you, Ueno-san~!"
Standing at the café entrance, Katou Megumi held her school bag in both hands, speaking with a light and breezy tone.
"Why don't you come hang out with us, Megumi-senpai?" Sakura extended another cheerful invitation.
"Mmm~" Katou Megumi gently shook her head. "It's about time I head home. If I'm late, my mom's gonna nag."
"Aw, what a shame. I was hoping to chat a bit more with Katou-san." Eriri smiled brightly and spoke with her usual, refined grace.
Since Kyousuke had mentioned there'd be other people around, she hadn't activated her "tsundere mode."
Instead, she maintained her flawless "ojou-sama" act.
"Hmm... I see~" Katou lowered her head slightly, as if wondering whether she was being rude by turning down her new friends.
"Well, don't worry! I'm sure there'll be plenty of chances in the future. Better not make your family worry." Eriri's smile was like sunlight.
"Okay then, see you tomorrow, Sakura-chan, Hojou-kun."
"See you, Katou-senpai! I'll bring the manga and novels I mentioned!"
"Okay~ Bye-bye!"
Katou Megumi waved to each of them before turning to leave.
Her departure left a heavy mood in her wake—so much so that even passersby could sense the drop in pressure.
The group of five walked in silence for a while, not speaking until they had left the main road and could no longer see any students in Toyogasaki uniforms.
"Looks like it's time for me to pack up and vacate my room. I mean, it was bound to happen eventually. A woman who's lost her novelty… well, this was inevitable. Even the most beautiful body gets boring over time."
Walking at the front, Kasumigaoka Utaha spoke in a mournful tone without even turning her head.
"Eh? Why would you need to move out? Isn't there still plenty of space on the third floor?"
Sakura finally tucked her phone away after sending her last message and looked up, her voice light and innocent.
No one answered her—not even Kyousuke.
"We were actually worried that you'd get bored waiting while we were at club activities, but in just two days you've already charmed a new girl."
"Impressive. Truly, you're a heartless flirt machine. I mean, 'stud' might as well have been coined just for you."
"Suddenly, all those doujins I've read seem way too tame. Even those hypnosis app stories can't match your real-life efficiency. And the worst part? The girls fall for it willingly."
Eriri, walking beside Kasumigaoka, clapped her hands slowly, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
"My, my. I'm a little surprised that the underage Sawamura-san reads such explicit stuff, but when it comes to someone acting like a sleazy manga protagonist, I do agree with her assessment for once."
Even insults sounded melodic when spoken by Kasumigaoka's cool voice or Eriri's spoiled tsundere tone.
For those with thick enough skin, their sharp words were almost enjoyable.
And speaking of thick skin—across all of Tokyo, maybe even the entire Kanto Plain, there was one guy who definitely ranked number one in that department.
"Ohhh, you were talking about Megumi-senpai!"
Yamauchi Sakura snapped her fingers, realization dawning on her face.
"You've got it all wrong! Megumi-senpai's my friend, okay? Kyousuke didn't flirt with her or anything!"
She squeezed herself between Eriri and Kasumigaoka and began explaining enthusiastically.
Two minutes later, Eriri turned to Kyousuke with a smile that said, "I'll let you off this time." Kasumigaoka, however, didn't say a word—just shot him a piercing glare with her crimson eyes.
The group didn't really have a destination in mind.
Eventually, they took the subway to Chiyoda to meet up with Shouko.
They visited a voice acting training center and ended the day with a yakiniku dinner.
Though technically girls who "don't get fat," they still showed restraint at dinner.
Even so, Eriri managed to eat three plates of beef short ribs, two of tenderloin, one of tongue, a strawberry crepe, and about a liter of cola.
Despite muttering things like "Ugh, I'm so full I could die," the moment they got home she collapsed dramatically onto the sofa.
Ordered someone to bring her cola and chips, and loudly called for Shouko and Sakura to watch a movie with her.
In the end, only Eriri, Kyousuke, and Yukino watched the film together.
Kasumigaoka had gone to the gym, and Sakura eagerly tagged along.
Shouko was reviewing her lessons from the training center.
Naoka dove straight into her workspace the moment she got back.
Even Momotarou the dog lay quietly nearby, his head resting on the carpet.
He'd gone wild earlier when reunited with his owner but quickly calmed down.
Who knows what kind of chaos he got up to during the day.
Halfway through the movie, Kyousuke grabbed two bottles of water and stepped out from the tatami room into the yard.
There, on the grass-covered mat, were Kasumigaoka and Sakura.
As he approached, he spotted Kasumigaoka in a deep yoga pose—wearing a blue short-sleeve top and snug capri pants.
Her feet were arched, legs glued to the mat, hips raised high in a perfect curve.
Her torso was stretched upward, chest pressing against her T-shirt as if it might burst.
When she saw him approach, her eyes, which had been closed, opened slightly and a sultry smile curved on her lips.
Her hair was tied up with a headband, though a few strands clung to her flushed face with sweat, making her look irresistibly alluring.
Kyousuke admired the sight for a moment before nudging Sakura, who was sitting cross-legged and watching intently.
"Why are you slacking off?"
"C'mon, watching a beautiful woman exercise is a workout in itself! I swear it's more rejuvenating than doing the workout myself. I can feel my lifespan increasing."
Sakura grinned, completely serious.
Kyousuke bent down and ruffled her hair, surprised to find it damp with sweat.
"You've been sweating? Then don't just sit here—you'll catch a cold."
"Spring winds bring life—ah, fine, I'll go."
Sakura, who had been about to spout some nonsense, zipped her lips under his gaze and trotted back inside with the water.
"Sakura was actually working pretty hard earlier. She only stopped when she got too tired. Her stamina isn't great, I guess."
Kasumigaoka paused her routine, took two deep breaths, and sat beside Kyousuke.
She took the water he opened and sipped.
"Haha, Sakura used to brag about doing long-distance running all the time when we were kids. Honestly, her stamina should be second only to mine in her whole family."
Kyousuke chuckled.
"Is that so?" Kasumigaoka's eyes shimmered with curiosity.
The movie had ended, and everyone was getting ready to wind down for the night.
Even Naoka was finally dragged out of the workroom by Shouko.
That girl was the fourth most notorious night owl in the house.
"Hey, Sakura, do you remember the girl we met earlier today in front of Toyogasaki's gate?" Kyousuke asked, sitting on the couch in the living room as Sakura wandered over to grab a midnight snack.
"Hmm?" A girl they met...? Sakura blinked.
That did happen, didn't it?
"Was it Kayoko? No, wait, that's her younger sister. Katou Mi? No, that doesn't sound right either..." The girl frowned, puzzled.
'Don't tell me I've developed early-onset Alzheimer's. That wasn't listed among the side effects...'
Kyousuke sighed to himself.
Just as he suspected—knowing Sakura's personality, she would've gone on and on about making a new friend as soon as she met up with Shouko.
But she hadn't mentioned Katou Megumi at all.
'Could that girl actually be some kind of ninja clan heir? Like from the Koga or Iga clans?'
'If she became an assassin, even the police would probably hold the door open for her without realizing it...'
"I'm talking about Katou Megumi. Didn't you already exchange contact info with her?" Kyousuke reminded her.
"Oh, oh, oh! Right, right!" Sakura exclaimed. "I even promised to lend her some manga and light novels tomorrow!"
"Kyousuke, do you think Megumi-senpai might have some kind of special talent... for being overlooked? Kind of like you."
"If you weren't so loud all the time, maybe you'd be less attention-grabbing too," Kyousuke shot back with mild irritation.
Since they were kids, Sakura had never acted like a typical Japanese girl.
She barreled into every room with the grace of a wrecking ball, wrecking whatever atmosphere was present.
Even with his genius-level brain, Kyousuke couldn't predict what Sakura might do next.
The one thing he could count on was that she'd never do what anyone expected.
"Kyousuke, can you go drop off the books at Megumi-senpai's place for me now? Just in case I forget tomorrow." Sakura tapped her head and stuck out her tongue playfully.
"I'll remind you in the morning," he replied flatly.
"But if we do it now, she can start reading them tonight! I bet she's excited about them!"
"You forgot her name a minute ago—how would you know what she's excited about? And it's probably past her bedtime."
"C'mon, hurry up and get changed already." Sakura popped the last bite of her snack into her mouth and ran behind Kyousuke, pushing him toward the hallway.
As always, he couldn't refuse her.
He threw on his coat and hopped on his motorcycle.
———————————————————————
Back in her room, Katou Megumi lay in bed, still in disbelief.
Hojou Kyousuke. The famed novelist, manga artist, and celebrity her cousin Keiichi—who got into Tokyo Medical—absolutely adored… actually remembered her name.
Someone as ordinary as her, remembered by someone like him?
After a bath, she changed into a white nightgown.
For once, she skipped her skincare routine and flopped onto her bed, pulling out her phone and opening the chat group the younger members of the Katou family used.
"I met Hojou Kyousuke today. We even became friends."
As she typed, her feet kicked lightly with joy, patting the blanket in rhythm.
Just as she was about to hit send, she paused.
That message felt a bit too much like bragging.
Even if it was something worth boasting about, she couldn't let her excitement show too openly.
She deleted the line.
———————————————————————
"I saw Hojou Kyousuke today."
———————————————————————
Send.
The chat remained silent, as always.
No one responded right away.
Megumi didn't mind.
She set her phone down and began her nightly skincare routine.
She got off the bed, pulled out her foldable little table, and placed her box of colorful bottles on top.
Then, she began the meticulous process of self-care.
But her phone wouldn't stop buzzing.
It was like it had suddenly regained a signal and turned into a hot line.
Soon, the ringtone for an incoming call rang out.
Still humming a soft tune, Megumi carried on with her routine, unbothered.
In truth, she didn't usually use that family chat group when talking to her older sister or the other Katou girls.
That group was mostly overrun by their male cousins.
In the male-dominated Katou family, that chat's main function was for the guys to brag or casually dump problems onto the girls.
Yes, even in today's society, families like that still existed.
Not to the soap-opera extremes, but the Katou household definitely had a "sons over daughters" air about it.
Megumi and her sister had always known their parents didn't see them as the ideal children.
That was why Megumi worked so hard to be "the sensible one," to shrink her presence as much as possible—to minimize their disappointment.
If she couldn't become their pride, then at the very least, she wouldn't give them a reason to say, "See? This is why having daughters is such a burden."
No selfishness. No stepping out of line. Just be a quiet, ordinary girl.
She understood it. But still... it was a little suffocating.
She knew.
She knew that sending that message would only make her cousin Keiichi panic.
He, the center of attention at every family gathering, was now calling her nonstop in a frenzy—all because of one quiet, well-behaved little cousin.
Unlike the Katou sisters, her cousin Keiichi had been a model child since they were young.
All the relatives saw him as the family's shining star.
The ringing finally stopped, but so did Megumi's cheerful mood.
Because she knew what would come next...
'Knock knock knock.'
"Megumi? Why aren't you answering your phone? Keiichi says he needs to talk to you."
Her mother's voice came from the other side of the door.
Megumi sighed and responded weakly, "Coming."
"Hurry up, don't keep Keiichi waiting."
"Yeah, yeah..."
If Sakura were here, she'd be stunned to see this seemingly emotionless girl—who even she, a master detective, couldn't read—now wearing a visible expression of irritation.
Tidying up her things, Megumi returned to her bed and picked up her phone.
Notifications were flooding in.
———————————————————————
"Hojou Kyousuke? Who's that, Megumi?" —Katou Hiromi
———————————————————————
That generic name left no doubt—Katou Megumi and Katou Hiromi had to be sisters.
In fact, Hiromi was her older sister who had already married and taken her husband's surname: Yoshinaga Hiromi.
Other sisters in the Katou family had also messaged sporadically, but their texts were buried beneath the flood of messages from Katou Keiichi.
Someone that high-ranking naturally dominated the chat.
The rest had likely taken their conversation elsewhere.
Unusually, Megumi didn't immediately call Keiichi back or even reply.
Instead, she checked her sister's messages and then dialed her number.
The call connected quickly, and her sister's cheerful voice rang out.
"Haha! Megumi, what were you doing? Kei-chan's been freaking out! I've never seen him like this—he totally lost his cool."
Whatever annoyance Megumi had felt melted away.
"My phone was in another room. I had both hands full, so I couldn't pick up," she replied flatly.
Even with her sister, Megumi kept her emotions under wraps.
Or rather, especially with her sister—she had to be extra careful.
Because...
"Hmm~~ let me think. At this time of day, if we're talking about the phone being 'somewhere else,' it probably means it's just lying around on the bed or desk, easy to grab."
"As for holding something in both hands… maybe skincare bottles or something like that—just put them down and problem solved."
"Hmph~~ Sis, you're seriously annoying…" Megumi Kato muttered, pouting slightly where no one else could see.
"Haha, come on now. Don't forget—it was me who taught you the trick: 'Slip a tiny lie into a pile of truths, and no one will notice.'"
Unlike her earlier carefree tone, Hiromi Yoshinaga now spoke in the exact same calm, understated style as Megumi.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. After all, I'm just your honest little sister—lying just isn't in my nature. Besides~~ there wasn't a single lie in what I just said."
It had been a while since she last bantered with her sister over the phone, and Megumi was clearly in high spirits.
Every time she sensed this side of her sister—so different from before she got married—it made her genuinely happy.
She was glad, from the bottom of her heart, that her sister had found happiness.
When it came to lying, her sister really was an expert.
Megumi had only learned maybe one percent of her tricks, but even that was enough to handle most of life's awkward situations.
Back when they were still living under the same roof, only Megumi knew the truth behind lines like:
"I'm going to a friend's house to study for exams," or "We're working on our graduation thesis," or "Just hanging out with some girlfriends."
Whether it was sneaking out late at night or not coming home at all, it always meant one thing—her sister was with that person.
Now her brother-in-law.
Just add the word "boy" in front of "friend," and technically, she wasn't lying.
In this household, that kind of white lie was essential.
So Megumi had humbly studied and absorbed everything.
"I bet Kei already called the rest of the family, huh?" her sister asked with a mischievous grin.
"Yep~ Mom was banging on my door so loud, I'm pretty sure the next city over heard it too."
Megumi spoke as if she were casually commenting on the weather.
"Huh? Really? That's weird. I didn't hear a thing here in Tokyo."
"Sounds like someone might need to get their ears checked at the hospital. If you want, I can go with you~~"
"Thanks for the concern, but I'll have Bunta go with me," her sister replied breezily.
"Wait, are you bragging about your husband right now? Oh wow~~ So this is how all married women's brains start working…"
"You'll understand once you're married, too, Megumi. Anyway, I was actually wondering why you sent such a strange message."
"I was trying to figure out who this Hojou Kyousuke was. Then Kei came rushing over like lightning—haven't seen him that panicked in a while."
She laughed.
"Hahaha, and here I thought he always preached that doctor-sounding line, 'Anyone can panic, but a doctor must always remain calm and composed.'"
"I guess he's still got a long way to go before becoming a real doctor."
'Pfft—'
Megumi burst out laughing at her sister's words and hurriedly covered the phone's mic in case anyone heard.
"Sis, you really shouldn't tease Kei like that!"
"You're so mean, Megumi~~"
"I am not"