The sudden chime of the doorbell drew both their attention.
Sonoko and Mari exchanged surprised looks clearly, neither of them had invited anyone over.
"I'll get it," Haruto said, standing up.
He went downstairs, opened the front door, and found Rio Futaba standing there her expression gloomy and vacant, her long hair hanging loose instead of tied up as usual.
Before he could say a word, the girl lifted her head, eyes filled with helplessness.
Without asking what had happened, Haruto simply reached out and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, guiding her inside.
"Why don't you rest in my room for a while?"
Rio silently nodded. Together, they went upstairs. When they reached the second-floor living room, Mari and Sonoko looked up, surprised to see Haruto with another girl.
Rio, following close behind Haruto, naturally noticed the two women in the living room. Their eyes met briefly before Rio turned away and followed Haruto up to the third floor.
Left behind, Sonoko blinked curiously and glanced at Mari beside her.
"That girl just now... was she his girlfriend? She's so cute! And her figure... ugh, I'm jealous!"
Mari, who still remembered meeting Haruto's girlfriend once before at his apartment, felt conflicted. The girl she just saw didn't seem familiar at all. Unsure of what kind of relationship Rio had with Haruto, Mari fell silent.
"I think I'll rest in my room for a bit," Mari said quietly. "I'll come out when it's time to make dinner."
"Huh? Oh... okay."
Sonoko watched her go, puzzled. As Mari disappeared into her room, Sonoko's imagination began spinning stories of tangled love triangles, and suddenly the evening felt far more interesting.
In Haruto's bedroom, Rio sat on the edge of his bed, her voice soft as she finally spoke.
"Those two just now… who were they?"
Haruto, sitting beside her with one arm gently around her shoulders, wasn't surprised by the question. The moment he saw Rio at the door, he had already expected it.
"The woman with long hair is my editor, Mari Kazaoka. The other is Machida Sonoko she's an editor from another publisher and Mari's roommate."
"They… live here now?"
"Not all the time," Haruto explained. "The rooms here were just sitting empty, and Mari's apartment rent was getting expensive. So I offered her a cheaper place, and she and her roommate moved in."
Rio's gaze lingered on him for a moment before she lowered her eyes again. She didn't ask any more questions.
"Would you like some tea?" Haruto offered.
"No… it's fine, I…"
Her delicate hands gripped tightly at the hem of her skirt. She bit her lip and lowered her head, staring at her fingers in silence. Her voice trembled slightly when she finally spoke.
"I… can't go home right now."
"Then stay here," Haruto said without hesitation. "There are plenty of empty rooms anyway. I'll go buy you some clothes later."
Rio nodded faintly. Her eyes dimmed as she turned to him again. She wanted to explain what had happened, to tell him why she came but the words wouldn't come out. Some heavy, unshakable feeling pressed down on her heart, and she stayed silent.
Haruto didn't push her. He simply stayed by her side.
About an hour passed before the tension in her expression softened. When she finally looked at him again, her eyes had regained some of their usual calm.
"I only brought my wallet and phone when I left," she said quietly.
"That's enough for now. Don't worry about the rest," Haruto replied. "Come on let's go buy you some clothes."
"Mm."
Of course, he was curious about what had happened to her. But seeing her fragile state, he chose not to ask... not yet.
They stood up and left the room together. Passing through the living room, Haruto politely told Sonoko they'd be going out for a while.
"Will you be back for dinner?" she asked.
"No, don't wait for me. It might be late."
"Got it~"
Sonoko made a playful "OK" gesture as the two of them stepped out the door toward the station.
After some time, Sonoko stretched lazily on the couch before getting up and walking to Mari's room. She knocked softly.
"You there?"
"Mhm?"
Mari opened the door, looking mildly surprised to see her.
"Haruto and that girl went out," Sonoko said. "They'll probably be back late. Any idea what you want for dinner?"
"I'm fine with anything."
"Then how about we go out and take a look together?"
"Mm… okay."
After thinking for a moment, Mari decided that since she'd spent almost the whole day indoors, going out for a short walk didn't sound so bad. She saved her work, got dressed, and went out with Sonoko toward the nearby shopping district.
_ _ _
Meanwhile, Haruto had brought Rio to Shinjuku. They stopped by a few well-known shopping centers like BIC CAMERA and Shinjuku Subnade.
They'd come out mainly to buy clothes, but once Haruto thought about all the other things a girl might need, he led Rio to a large department store instead. There, he bought her two sets of pajamas and casual outfits, along with a handful of everyday beauty products and toiletries.
By the time they were done, nearly three hours had passed. As evening settled in, the two of them decided to have dinner at a teppanyaki restaurant nearby.
Haruto wasn't exactly used to teppanyaki. He watched the raw ingredients in front of him, then glanced up at Rio, sitting across the table.
"Do you know how to cook this?"
"No."
"Perfect. Neither do I. Well then... waiter!"
Since neither of them knew what they were doing, Haruto called the server over for help. They watched as the waiter's hands moved skillfully, flipping and turning the sizzling food. Haruto studied the motions carefully.
"Ah, thank you. You can leave the other one... we'd like to try it ourselves."
"Understood," the waiter replied with a polite nod before moving on to another table.
"Think you've got it?" Rio asked quietly.
"More or less," Haruto said, handing her one of the spatulas. "Whether it tastes good or not… that's up to fate. Want to give it a try?"
"..."
Rio didn't answer, but since he'd already passed the spatula to her, she accepted it. Hesitantly, she began to work the grill, imitating the motions of the waiter from earlier.
Haruto rested his chin on his hand, watching her calmly.
"Looks about ready. Try flipping it."
"Okay."
"How about some seaweed flakes?"
"Do you like bonito flakes?"
When it was nearly done, Haruto brought out the condiments and glanced at her. Once she nodded her approval, he sprinkled a bit of both on top.
"Mayonnaise?"
"I'm not really a fan of mayo… but maybe just a little, to see how it tastes."
He added a small drizzle and cut a portion for each of them, placing a small piece onto Rio's plate first. After tasting his own, Haruto nodded.
"Not bad. The flavor's pretty good."
"It's a little burnt," Rio murmured softly, closing her eyes with a hint of disappointment.
"Yeah, a bit. But actually… I think it's better this way. I like that slightly crisp texture. Though the mayonnaise might've been a little unnecessary."
Hearing him speak so honestly not just trying to comfort her eased something inside Rio. She looked at him, then quietly took another bite. For the first time that day, the tension in her chest began to fade.
They lingered there for nearly another hour before heading home. By the time they got back, it was already past eight.
They took the subway back and soon arrived at the café-house.
When they opened the door, they found Sonoko and Mari sitting in the living room in pajamas, flipping through a fashion magazine together, chatting about trends and outfits.
As soon as the two returned, Sonoko's expression turned mischievous she gave a sly grin but said nothing. Mari, on the other hand, greeted them calmly.
"Welcome back."
"Yeah," Haruto replied with a small nod. "Starting today, my girlfriend, Rio Futaba, will be staying here for a while."
"Welcome~ I'm Machida Sonoko... just a tenant staying here, nice to meet you!"
"I'm Mari Kazaoka. Please take care of us," Mari added politely.
Rio pressed her lips together, nodded slightly, and introduced herself.
"I'm Rio Futaba. Please take care of me."
Being introduced as Haruto's girlfriend in front of others filled her with a quiet, reassuring warmth. For the first time since she arrived, a soft smile appeared on her face.
After the greetings, Haruto and Rio went back upstairs to his room, leaving Sonoko and Mari alone. The two women exchanged a knowing look.
"Are you jealous?" Sonoko teased.
"What?"
"That girl becoming Haruto's girlfriend. You're not a little jealous?"
"I'm not a child," Mari replied flatly. "Why would I be jealous about something like that?"
"So… you're not jealous?"
"You.. ugh… forget it."
Mari wanted to scold her, but knowing Sonoko's teasing nature, she decided it was pointless. She sighed, took a deep breath, and turned her attention back to her magazine.
Sonoko grinned, sensing the tension, but chose to keep her amusement to herself.
After both women had taken their turns in the bath, Haruto and Rio went next.
Seeing the two of them casually heading to the bathroom together, Sonoko froze, eyes wide. She turned toward Mari in disbelief.
"Are all young people these days really this… bold?"
"..."
Mari didn't answer she wasn't exactly "young" anymore, and the thought stung a little.
"Should we… eavesdrop?" Sonoko whispered, leaning closer.
"If you don't want to get kicked out, I'd suggest you don't," Mari said flatly.
"I doubt he'd mind."
"Maybe not. But his girlfriend probably would."
"Ugh, fine!" Sonoko groaned dramatically but stayed where she was. She flopped back on the couch, looping her legs around Mari's waist and pressing close, whispering into her ear.
"Hey, hey… when I'm not around, do you ever sneak into his room?"
"..."
Mari shot her a cold glare and slipped out of her grasp, heading toward her bedroom.
"I'm going to bed. Good night."
"Ah, right, work tomorrow," Sonoko sighed. "Guess I should sleep too."
She had been planning to stay up and see Haruto and Rio's reactions after their bath, but the thought of work the next morning crushed her motivation. With a tired stretch, she stood up and headed toward her room.
"I really wish I had my own place…" she muttered wistfully before closing the door behind her.
Wearing a towel, Rio gently wiped Haruto's back. Her fingers trembled slightly as she touched his broad and white back. This was the first time for her to have such contact.
"Don't you think those two might get the wrong idea?"
"Wrong idea about what?"
"About… your girlfriend, for instance."
"But you are my girlfriend, aren't you?"
"And your other girlfriend? She won't mind?"
"…Let's just talk about who's taking the inside of the bed tonight, okay?"
It was probably for the best that they didn't dwell on that topic.
The moment Rio spoke, her mood darkened slightly. The hand that had been gently wiping Haruto's back grew a bit rougher, and faint red marks appeared on his pale skin along with traces of old surgical scars.
Seeing those scars, her expression softened, and her movements became careful again, almost tender.
"Did your family contact you?" Haruto asked quietly.
"My phone's off. I didn't notice."
"You should at least send them a message. Let them know you're safe."
"…"
Rio didn't reply.
Haruto closed his eyes, watching the soap bubbles slide down his arm. He scooped some into his hand, brought them up, and gently blew sending them drifting into the warm air.
"You're like a kid," Rio said, a faint laugh escaping her lips.
"Yeah," Haruto murmured, smiling softly. "Guess I am... just like a kid."
He brushed the remaining foam from his hands, that quiet, wistful smile still lingering on his face.