When Haruto showed up in front of Koharu and told her he wanted to try filming something and maybe even become a director, her reaction was one of rare bewilderment.
"Haruto, you want to be a director?"
"I'm kind of interested. I thought I'd give it a try."
"Why?"
"Because it seems interesting."
"Why does it suddenly seem interesting?"
Koharu didn't really understand why Haruto, of all people, had suddenly developed an interest in filmmaking and directing.
Having such an interest wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but the abruptness of it made her curious. She wanted to know what had sparked this new desire.
"In my class, there's this girl named Nakano Ichika. You've probably heard of her, right?"
"Mm-hmm."
"She signed with an agency, became an entertainer. That got me thinking about movies… and how they can actually make money. Then, before I knew it, I started wondering what it'd be like to make one myself. Get it now?"
"I get it."
So basically, seeing a classmate become a signed entertainer made him think of films and from there, the idea of making one himself was born.
"I'm not planning to start shooting right away," Haruto continued. "I want to think about the content first—start small, maybe a short film as my first attempt. I'll write the story myself and and… well, see how it goes."
He looked thoughtful. Haruto hadn't yet decided what kind of story he wanted to film, but even as he spoke, vague ideas were already beginning to take shape in his mind.
Koharu didn't want to discourage him. Filming could mean many things, and while she often shot casual videos as a hobby, she had no real experience making a proper movie. Her instincts told her the odds of success weren't high but looking at Haruto's quiet enthusiasm, she thought maybe it was worth a try.
They chatted a bit more about film in general. Haruto had zero experience, while Koharu, thanks to her hobby, knew a little about camera work and production basics.
"I'll figure out the story first," Haruto said. "Once that's done, I'll think about shooting."
"Sounds good."
Low-budget films usually made people think of short indie projects but even those weren't something just anyone could pull off. The key was the core story. That needed serious thought.
"When the time comes, I'll let you know. Oh, right do you know anything about Kasumigaoka Utaha?"
"The girl in the same year as me?"
"Yeah, that one."
"I don't know much, but I can look into it if you want her info."
"Look into it?"
Haruto raised an eyebrow. He was only curious about her attitude toward him and it wasn't like he wanted to investigate her.
"No need," he said. "I'm just curious. We don't talk much, but she seems to have some kind of issue with me. Not sure what I did to make her dislike me."
"Maybe she found out something she wasn't supposed to know?" Koharu said lightly.
"Huh?"
Haruto tilted his head, frowning slightly.
"You know something?"
"No."
Their brief exchange yielded nothing useful, and after saying goodbye, Haruto returned to class and quietly resumed his lessons.
Later that afternoon, as school ended and Haruto was packing up his books, a familiar black skirt with two white stripes came into view at the corner of his eye.
He looked up to see a girl standing by his desk Nakano Itsuki, who he hadn't spoken to in quite a while. Her expression was a mix of irritation and disappointment.
"You're not going to cram school anymore?" she asked.
Haruto paused for a moment, then continued gathering his books and slid them into his bag before replying.
"Not for a while. I've got a few things to handle. I already talked to Tsubota-sensei about it, he knows what's going on. I'll still stop by occasionally for tutoring when I have free time, but most of my days are… kind of occupied."
He hadn't really needed to explain that much, but seeing Itsuki's sour mood and knowing he was the one who had introduced her to the cram school in the first place, he felt a little responsible.
"Once everything's settled, I'll probably start going regularly again."
"Is it something important?"
"Not really," Haruto said. "Just a personal hobby. Don't worry about it."
"…"
"Well then, I'll get going. Bye."
Before she could respond, Haruto reached out and gently patted her head. The affectionate gesture caught her completely off guard, leaving her frozen for a second.
A few classmates who noticed the gesture began whispering among themselves, glancing between Haruto, who was walking out, and Itsuki, who stood there with a conflicted expression.
Haruto didn't go straight home. Instead, he stopped the café house, stayed for a bit, then returned to his apartment. Sitting at his desk later that evening, he chewed absently on his pen cap, frowning at the blank notebook in front of him.
"Actors…" he muttered. "With my current connections, I've got no access to any professionals. So, realistically, I'll have to rely on people I already know. Which means… acting quality isn't something I can expect too much from."
Trying to make others follow his script exactly would be difficult. The story itself needed to stay close to reality.
"Youth. School life. Everyday moments," he murmured. "Those should be the core themes."
Maybe a touch of romance too.
"But that's… pretty cliché," he sighed. "There are tons of stories like that already. It's hard to make something fresh."
He thought for a while longer.
"Something intriguing… something that makes people curious."
Staring at his notebook, Haruto closed his eyes and fell into deep thought.
It wasn't that he didn't want to try something bold and he even considered adapting one of his old adult novels into a toned-down version.
"…Well, it's not impossible," he muttered. "I've written plenty of school-themed stuff before. The only problem would be the actors."
Even if he cut out the explicit parts and only filmed the normal scenes, the result would still be provocative enough to stir teenage fantasies. And no girl would willingly become a boy's fantasy figure.
Using people he already knew was out of the question, and convincing strangers would be next to impossible. So, regretfully, he set that idea aside.
"What about… a hypnosis story?" he muttered absently.
It wasn't that a story had to be adult-rated to be interesting. He thought back to his earlier musings about humor and reconsidered one of the topics he'd previously discarded.
"Normally, when you hear the word hypnosis, people think of… well, things you can't really describe in public. But if I flipped that idea around…"
Sitting at his desk, Haruto began to jot down a few notes, the spark of an idea starting to form.
By evening, he made a quick trip to the Kiyoura household, had dinner there, and then returned to his apartment. After writing for a little while longer, around eight o'clock he switched off his room light and headed for the door.... only to notice a faint shadow approaching from the dimly lit hallway.
"Sayu?"
"Mm!"
Sayu lifted her head at the sound of his voice, surprise flickering across her face when she saw him standing by the door.
"Heading out?" she asked.
"Yeah. Something wrong?"
"I just… wanted to see you. Are you going for a walk?"
"Meeting someone."
"You're not coming back tonight?"
"Not tonight."
"But you've got school tomorrow."
Sayu, who usually kept her distance from Haruto at school, had been bothered all day after seeing him gently pat Itsuki's head in class. She'd held it in until nightfall before coming over... only to find him about to go out.
"Yeah," he said, "I'll be back in the morning before class."
"You could just stay home…"
He stepped closer, looking into her eyes. Glancing briefly up and down the hallway to make sure no one was around, Haruto pulled Sayu into his arms. Her lips parted slightly as his gaze lingered, and under the flickering light their silhouettes slowly overlapped...
Her breath quickened, her knees weakening until she nearly lost her balance. When Haruto finally released her, Sayu swayed and caught herself against the wall.
"You should go back and rest," he said softly, brushing a hand through her hair.
She looked up at him, silent for a moment, then nodded. It hadn't been quite what she'd hoped for but it wasn't nothing, either. Quietly, she turned and walked back toward her apartment. Haruto watched her until she disappeared around the corner of the stairwell, then left the building himself.
He caught the subway just before the last train stopped running, riding all the way to Hōkokuji Station. There were still plenty of female university students on board... unsurprising, since there was a women's dorm near his own house that he'd only recently realized existed.
Now that he knew, he couldn't help noticing the students who lived there, most already dressed like working adults. He didn't find it particularly exciting, though; his interest faded quickly. Closing his eyes, he leaned back in silence until the train reached his stop.
When the doors opened, the low hum of conversation filled the air.
"That Sawada guy is disgusting," one woman was saying. "Every time class ends, he stares at me with that pervy look."
"I know, right? How is someone like that even a teacher? I heard he once tried to ask a student out for coffee and she turned him down flat."
"So pathetic. Bet he's never had a girlfriend."
"Someone said they saw him in Shinjuku, hanging all over some drunk woman."
"Figures. That's the only kind of place someone like him could hit on women."
Haruto walked behind them, only half-listening. Whoever this Sawada was, he'd clearly managed to earn quite a reputation.
Then another name caught his attention.
"Did you hear about Shinohara?"
"Her boyfriend cheating again?"
"That was two months ago! They got back together, but she found out he cheated again. She was so furious she pushed him down the stairs."
"No way!"
"It's true. She got arrested and charged with assault. They're saying she might be prosecuted."
"And her boyfriend?"
"He's in the hospital, but apparently he plans to forgive her."
"Ugh… that's disgusting."
"Creepy, too."
Hearing the conversation, Haruto tensed slightly. Shinohara? The name stirred a faint, uneasy recognition, though he couldn't place why. He glanced up at the three girls ahead of him but said nothing, following quietly until he reached the corner near his destination.
He stopped in front of his building, unlocked the door, and stepped inside.
The house was silent.
"Already asleep?" he murmured.
That seemed unlikely... it was only nine o'clock.
He slipped off his shoes and walked toward the bedroom. Opening the door, he flicked on the light and found Rio already lying on the bed, fast asleep.
Haruto turned off the light again, grabbed his pajamas, and quietly left the bedroom, heading to the bathroom for a quick shower.
"Ugh, so much work and barely any raise. I really should change jobs soon… I'm going to rinse off first; we can talk after," came Sonoko's voice from the hallway.
Haruto, standing under the shower, didn't catch what she said and he only noticed faint movement outside. Then a sudden realization struck him.
Wait… I didn't lock the door when I came in, did I?
He had assumed that Mari and Sonoko had both gone to bed early, so he hadn't bothered closing it all the way.
"The light's still on in the bathroom?"
"Is someone in there…?"
Clack—
The door slid open.
There stood Sonoko, peeking in curiously. Her eyes met Haruto's. For a split second, surprise froze her face and then that expression slowly melted into something else, a mischievous grin forming at the corners of her lips.