Being seen naked caught Haruto a little off guard but not enough to make him flustered. After all, this wasn't the first time Sonoko had seen him like that. His reaction remained calm and composed.
"Something you need?" he asked casually.
Sonoko tilted her head with a teasing grin. "You've got quite the nice body. I didn't really take a good look before, but… turns out you're exactly my type."
Ignoring the comment, Haruto rinsed off under the shower one last time, then stepped out and grabbed a towel. Wrapping it around his waist, he looked at Sonoko and flicked her forehead lightly.
"Ow!"
"Next time, don't barge in while someone's bathing," he said flatly. "Not everyone's as calm about it as I am."
"Yeah, yeah," she muttered.
Standing at the doorway, Sonoko watched his retreating back with a mix of exasperation and amusement. She was the older one, and yet somehow, he always ended up lecturing her like a child. Still… she didn't really dislike it. In fact, his overly serious reactions were kind of fun to watch.
When Haruto returned to the bedroom, Rio was still lying on the bed, seemingly asleep. Her glass of water on the nightstand rippled slightly. Haruto noticed the subtle movement, she was awake but pretending otherwise. Without saying anything, he lay down beside her and wrapped an arm gently around her waist.
Morning came early. He had to return to his apartment, so when the alarm rang, he opened his eyes reluctantly.
He sighed. Well, can't blame anyone but myself for deciding to stay over.
"Hm?"
"It's nothing," he whispered softly. "I'm heading back to my place. You can sleep a bit longer... it's still early."
The sound of the alarm had woken Rio too. She blinked drowsily, her eyes barely open.
"What time is it?"
"Five forty."
"Too early…"
Murmuring that, she closed her eyes again and drifted back to sleep. Haruto quietly got up, dressed, and left the bedroom.
The others in the apartment were still asleep. Haruto didn't disturb anyone. He simply slipped on his shoes, locked the door behind him, and stepped out into the quiet street, heading for the subway station.
At that hour, only 24-hour stores were open. Everything else was still shuttered.
6:00 A.M.
The subway was nearly empty. The morning rush wouldn't begin for another hour, so only a few passengers were scattered throughout the cars.
Haruto made it back to his apartment smoothly. He dropped his bag, lay down on his bed, and glanced at the clock.
6:27.
Still an hour before he needed to leave for school.
He could've slept a bit more but after all that, he wasn't really sleepy anymore. So he sat at his desk, opened his laptop, and idly browsed the news for a while.
7:18.
Feeling it was about time, he packed up, straightened his uniform, and left.
"Good morning."
"Morning," he replied briefly to Sekai as he passed her outside the Kiyoura residence.
She looked like she wanted to say something, but after a moment of hesitation, she stayed quiet.
It had been a long time since she'd really talked to Haruto. Lately, she'd been subconsciously avoiding him. Seeing how close he'd grown to Setsuna, Sekai realized her own chances were slim. Continuing like this and holding onto something one-sided... would only hurt more in the end. Maybe it was better to let go.
I guess… I fell in love with the wrong person back then, she thought.
Whether it was calm acceptance or quiet resignation, she didn't know. Without the rose-colored filter of infatuation, she could finally see that she and Haruto were never really compatible. When she was with him, she hadn't truly been happy.
Being with someone you love should make you happy, right? If you're the only one feeling that way, you're just fooling yourself.
Sekai's reaction was calm, almost detached. Haruto, walking ahead, noticed the change but didn't care much.
His feelings toward her had always been lukewarm anyway, and they hadn't spent any real time alone together recently. It was only natural that things cooled off. In fact, he felt a small sense of relief.
It's fine like this.
—
"That poem, 'A Small Scene of Different Feelings II,' was written by Saisei Muroo, whose real name was Terumichi Muroo. Born in 1889 in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, he was the son of a former feudal lord, though his father passed away early. He was later adopted by the head priest of Muroo Temple and took the name Shinjo Muroo," the teacher recited at the front of the classroom.
The nostalgic tone of the poem, its longing for home made Haruto think of his own hometown in Gifu.
When you're home, all you dream of is leaving. But once you're gone, the memories grow softer, warmer… and you find yourself missing it more than you expected.
Ishikawa, huh? That's somewhere near Gifu... north of it, I think. Kanazawa… right, by the sea?
He vaguely remembered something about Kanazawa... famous hot springs, maybe a festival? It had been too long to recall clearly.
Old feudal domain… Ishikawa… that must've been Kaga Domain.
Lost in thought, he barely listened to the rest of the lecture. By the time he came back to his senses, the class was over.
He wasn't particularly interested in the lesson anyway. His mind drifted to more practical matters like whether he should transfer to a school that allowed early graduation.
Chiba University wasn't as prestigious as the Tokyo schools he'd originally aimed for, but… maybe that didn't really matter anymore.
Sitting quietly in the classroom, Haruto frowned slightly, conflicted.
During the lunch break, he didn't go looking for Koharu or Rio. Instead, he made his way to the faculty office to consult with Kiryu Yuzuki.
As always, Kiryu wore her beige office outfit, sitting at her desk even during lunch hour, diligently working through a pile of papers.
Peeking in through the doorway, Haruto saw her completely absorbed in her task, her head bent over the documents.
Even after a year of teaching, Kiryu remained one of the youngest instructors on campus, an unusual presence among the older faculty.
Haruto quietly approached her desk.
"Miyamizu-kun?"
Kiryu looked up, surprised when she noticed the shadow by her side. Seeing who it was, her eyes widened slightly.
They usually had little to no contact, so when Haruto suddenly appeared in the faculty office, standing quietly beside her desk, Kiryu was understandably surprised.
"Is there something you needed?" she asked, setting down her pen.
"There's something I'd like to discuss with you, Kiryu-sensei," Haruto said politely. "If you have the time, that is."
"Discuss?"
Because she was one of the younger teachers, Kiryu often felt her students didn't really trust her. So hearing Haruto speak so seriously made her heart lift a little. For once, she felt like a real teacher.
"Of course. I have time. What did you want to talk about?"
After expressing his request, Haruto followed her into a small consultation room. Once they both sat down, he spoke plainly:
"If I wanted to finish high school at the end of my second year, essentially graduating early and enter university a year ahead of schedule, what would your advice be, Kiryu-sensei?"
The words hit her like a thunderclap.
She had expected something ordinary and maybe a concern about grades or friendships but this was completely beyond her expectations.
"Wait, Miyamizu-kun… did you just say you plan to graduate early and enter university ahead of time?"
"That's right."
Kiryu blinked. "You… you're serious about this?"
Haruto nodded calmly.
"Do you realize what that entails?" she asked, her tone soft but serious. "University entrance exams are no small matter. It's nothing like our school tests and they're on a completely different level. You..."
"I've already been preparing," Haruto interrupted gently. "I've taken academic evaluations through a private tutoring school. My simulated test results put my deviation score around sixty. Getting into my original targets Rikkyo or Meiji University might be difficult, but other universities should be well within reach."
Her planned lecture and telling him not to act rashly died in her throat. His composure and preparedness left her momentarily speechless.
"I think Rikkyo's deviation score is around sixty as well, isn't it?"
"About sixty-two," Haruto confirmed.
"Then why not just keep working toward that goal?" she asked softly. "Why rush into university life? Besides, skipping an entire year of high school isn't exactly normal. I've… honestly never heard of anyone doing it."
Kiryu's words weren't out of doubt, but genuine concern. In her experience, everyone she'd known had followed the traditional path—three years of high school, then college.
Haruto smiled faintly. "Most universities don't allow early entrance. But there are exceptions like the G30 program. Chiba University, for instance one of the former national universities has accepted such cases before. Its medical faculty was even one of the old six imperial medical schools. Many students there go on to prominent graduate programs afterward."
The room fell quiet. Kiryu hesitated, unsure what else to say.
After a few moments, Haruto stood up. "Thank you for your time. I've made my decision. That's all I needed, Kiryu-sensei."
He bowed politely.
Kiryu blinked again, feeling oddly deflated. He had come to consult her, yet she hadn't really offered him anything.
"Miyamizu-kun," she called just as he reached the door.
He paused. "Yes?"
She hesitated for a beat, then said softly, "Think about it carefully, okay? You only get to experience high school once. Some things… once missed, you can never get back."
"I understand," Haruto said, giving her a gentle smile before leaving the room.
He returned to his classroom, sat back in his seat, and gazed out the window.
At least for now, he couldn't skip ahead just yet but after finishing his second year, entering Chiba University seemed like a strong option.
Located in Chiba City, it was only about an hour from Tokyo convenient enough for what he needed.
Enrolling early at Chiba University… yeah, that wouldn't be a bad path.
As he sat quietly at his desk, his mind began outlining the steps, planning what needed to be done before the year's end.
When classes ended that afternoon, Haruto went home to his apartment. After resting for a bit, he headed out to the local shopping street to buy groceries, then cooked dinner alone.
_ _ _
By April, the cherry blossoms had already begun to bloom.
In Bunkyō, where Haruto lived, there were plenty of sakura trees but the most famous viewing spots were still Ueno Park and the Meguro River.
Both sides of the Meguro River were lined with cherry trees, and during the season, the blossoms turned the whole river a soft pink. Petals drifted over the water like snowflakes. At night, under the lights, the sight became almost magical.
"Maybe I should go see the Meguro River blossoms," Haruto murmured to himself.
But Meguro and Shinagawa weren't exactly close, it'd take some time to get there.
He remembered something then. "The last apartment I looked at was near Meguro River, wasn't it? A bit pricey… but it was a single-unit place right by the water."
He leaned back on his chair, half-smiling.
Maybe I should just buy one near Meguro River.
Both Meguro and Shinagawa were known for their quiet residential neighborhoods. Buying a small place there… didn't sound like a bad idea at all.