"Hotel? I'm not going."
Leaning against the wall, Haru suddenly spoke as if he had foreseen her intentions. His expression was unshakably resolute, earnest to a fault, leaving Taki frozen in place.
Perhaps it was the oddity of his words, but the atmosphere between them shifted in an instant. The sensual, ambiguous air vanished without a trace.
Shiina Taki, who had been silent for a long time, gradually widened her eyes. Then, almost gasping, she opened her mouth.
"…Huh?"
What the hell is this guy saying so seriously?
"You're talking nonsense. I didn't come to you for something like that!"
Regaining her senses, Taki refuted him in a tone that utterly lacked conviction. Her breath came slightly too fast, and though she tried to sound stern, there wasn't a shred of sharpness in her voice. It was nothing more than a flustered scolding.
Even though she stubbornly denied it out loud, her face had turned red and she lowered her head the moment she registered the implication of his words.
Just looking at her, clearly lost in thought, it was obvious that Taki's mind wasn't nearly as upright as she claimed.
"…"
Haru gave her a strange look. He had only been joking to lighten the mood.
Wait... could she actually be taking it seriously?
"…Haru, why are you looking at me like that?"
Having calmed her breathing and steadied her emotions, Taki suddenly raised her sharp violet eyes, falcon-like in intensity. Her long lashes fanned upward like raven feathers, but the dignified beauty of her gaze was ruined by the blush that spread across her cheeks and the shimmer in her eyes.
Far from serious or authoritative, she now carried a charm that was hard to define.
Haru took a deep breath.
Lately, hasn't Taki been kind of... too cute? How did he ever see her as one of the guys?
Collecting himself, Haru cleared his throat and put on a show of seriousness.
"So, Taki, what exactly did you want to talk to me about?"
Taki had just had a private conversation with Umiri, and now she had run straight to Haru without a word. Even if Haru pretended not to know, it wasn't hard to guess, it definitely had something to do with Wakaba Mutsumi, who was just nearby.
Now that Haru had suddenly turned serious, his focused gaze only made Taki, who had finally mustered up some courage, feel unexpectedly tense. She turned her head slightly and began to speak in a stiff voice.
"It's not really a big deal…"
"It's just… I was wondering if I could go home with you tonight?"
Haru: …What?
Wait, sis—
"Taki?"
Haru's strange gaze swept over Taki from head to toe. That look sparked a surge of embarrassment she had been trying to suppress, flaring up like dry straw meeting flame. Clearly uncomfortable, she rushed forward and grabbed his sleeve in a panic. The tips of her pale ears were already dyed deep red.
"Don't get the wrong idea, I didn't mean it like that at all!"
"It's just because of Soyo… I figured she might be waiting alone at your place right now, so I have to go back with you!"
Soyo?
Haru raised an eyebrow thoughtfully at the girl's explanation, recalling the Line message Miss Soyo had sent him earlier today.
Soyo had been acting oddly all day, and there were plenty of red flags. It was no surprise that Taki would take the initiative to come over like this; Haru figured Mutsumi must have shared something with her that raised her guard.
Taki's wariness toward Nagasaki Soyo was something Haru completely understood.
If there was anyone currently the most eager to deepen their relationship with Haru, Soyo would be the undisputed frontrunner. But both Haru and Taki, who knew her well, were aware that Soyo wasn't nearly as simple as she seemed.
She wasn't the obedient and well-behaved girl she pretended to be on the surface.
Having sorted that out in his mind, Haru hesitated for a couple of seconds before replying in an even tone, "I know very well that Soyo didn't come to the party today. In fact, I was already planning to take a detour on my way home to check on her at her place."
Soyo's little schemes didn't escape his notice, especially since Mutsumi had already brought the matter up with him earlier.
But Haru wasn't angry.
Soyo was someone who lacked a sense of security more than anything else. She had never truly felt loved or protected, so when he decided to be with her, Haru had resolved to give her a foundation of safety, one strong enough that she could learn to accept others into her heart.
Still, it was entirely possible that Soyo, restless as ever, was secretly plotting something again.
Even so, he remained calm, because Haru had a firm and rational grasp of his responsibilities. No matter what Soyo might do from here on out, he would never abandon anyone close to him.
And if she ever ended up hurting someone else, Haru would take responsibility and help her make it right.
Gradually reining in his scattered thoughts, Haru slid a five-hundred yen coin into the nearby vending machine. He retrieved a warm can of coffee from it and handed it to Taki, then spoke in an untroubled tone.
"You don't need to worry about Soyo. I'll find a way to handle it."
"…Haru, are you saying I should mind my own business?"
Taki's delicate brows slowly knitted together. She didn't take the coffee, and instead stepped forward sharply, closing the distance between them.
Seeing this, Haru let out a quiet sigh and shook his head, answering with a patient, gentle voice.
"The issues with Soyo are ultimately my responsibility. If I'm selfish enough to want to keep all of you by my side, then it's only right that I carry the burden of dealing with those problems."
Hearing that, Taki's eyes softened a little, but she still looked dissatisfied, her pale lips pursed slightly.
"Haru, we're a couple, right?"
"This isn't just your 'duty' or 'responsibility.' My future… and Tomori's fate, they're tied to you too. No matter what happens, I'm going to stay by your side, so don't you dare try to take on everything by yourself!"
She slowly raised a small fist and pressed it against his chest, then gently bumped her forehead against him, again and again.
Her stubborn, almost pouty words brought a long breath of relief from Haru. Then he raised both hands and mimicked a distinctly French gesture of surrender. (Absolute Cinema pose)
"I give up. Looks like it's time I leaned on my adorable Taki."
She had successfully convinced him.
Whether as a reliable bandmate or a lifelong partner, the proud beauty standing before him was someone Haru trusted the most. At this point, there was no way he could refuse her help.
"…Who's yours."
Muttering into Haru's chest, the black-haired girl pouted, but the corners of her lips lifted despite herself.
Thinking about Sakiko still annoyed her a little, but that one thing she had said did hold some truth.
Taki and Haru now stood as nothing less than a true shared destiny.
"By the way… Taki, are you really okay not going home tonight?"
"Huh? When did I ever say I was staying over?"
Blushing furiously, Taki scrambled to pull away from Haru's chest, her gaze darting away as she looked up at his face.
Seeing this, Haru sensed he'd just gained the upper hand. His tone turned teasing as he smirked and said, "Didn't you just say it yourself? That 'no matter what happens, you'll stay by my side,' right?"
"Don't tell me Taki was just lying to toy with my feelings. Are you saying you can't stand by your own words?"
"I…"
Taki opened her mouth, cheeks flushed, wanting to argue back but at a loss for words.
Trying to cover up the panic and shyness in her heart, she reached up with her fingertips to quietly fix her bangs, which had gotten tousled. The sharpness once held in her eyes softened with her voice. Her gaze flickered and wouldn't lift, and the beauty mark under her left eye only added to her charm.
"Spending the night… it's not out of the question."
"But, Haru, don't you dare start getting handsy with me… and that thing from last time too!"
Seeing her face that red, Haru felt as if her cuteness had just dealt a direct blow to his heart.
Damn, he was starting to lose control.
"Taki, really? Not even a little?"
"…Just a little, but only this once!"
You said the exact same thing last time.
Faced with that, Haru could only fall silent to suppress the restlessness rising inside him. He was suddenly afraid to keep teasing her, because he realized Taki's "limits" seemed to keep slipping lower. For all her tough talk, she had an astonishing level of tolerance.
If this went on, things might really start to get out of hand.
He was afraid he wouldn't be able to stop himself.
…
Nagasaki Soyo was starting to panic.
Sitting in front of her was Misumi Uika, and she was nothing like what Soyo had imagined. Those calm, indifferent violet eyes were staring straight at her. Holding her coffee cup, Soyo couldn't find a single thing to say, let alone refute the accusations coming from the other girl.
Her sharp voice seemed to pierce straight through Soyo's skin and spine. The words carried an eerie clarity, pushing her further and further away, as if the very air around them had frozen over.
Everything Soyo had said earlier had been aimed at making Uika back off on her own. As the "official girlfriend," Soyo thought Uika should understand her place and stay away from her man.
But Soyo hadn't expected that from the start, Uika had been acting.
Whether it was her gentleness and warmth, or her seemingly genuine guilt and self-conscious unease, it was all just a mask stretched over the surface.
The moment Soyo showed a crack, Uika had flipped the "shield" around and slammed it back in her face.
…
And now, Soyo suddenly remembered who Uika really was.
Uika was a top idol from the group Sumimi, and people like her, who shined on stage, were absolute masters of deception, masks so perfect the average person would never spot the difference.
Click!
Just as Soyo was completely at a loss, the door to Haru's apartment clicked open.
In that instant, both Soyo and Uika tensed up. The poised, elegant blonde girl immediately lowered her eyes, and her expression changed visibly from startled, unsettled, even flustered.
The shift was so obvious, it made Soyo jump.
Was that part of the act too?
"Soyo… and Uika?"
Haru looked a little surprised as he stepped into the living room. Clearly, he hadn't expected Uika to be here.
Uika, seated beside Soyo, quickly stood up and began explaining in a slightly anxious tone.
"Um! I'm really sorry for showing up at your place so suddenly. When you invited me to the party earlier, I was still at work, so I had to turn you down. But after work ended, I came right over. I wanted to apologize in person…"
That was… unexpectedly sincere.
All Uika had done was skip a party due to work, but she came all the way over afterward just to apologize in person. Her genuine and serious attitude made it impossible to hold anything against her, especially when Haru hadn't been upset to begin with.
Haru simply waved a hand with a friendly smile.
"No worries at all. You could've just messaged me on Line, Uika. I totally understand how busy idol work can be. There's no need to go out of your way to apologize."
"I… I understand."
Uika nodded, a blush rising on her cheeks, and quietly let out a breath of relief.
The apology was only one part of her reason for coming. Getting some time alone with Haru was the other.
But she hadn't expected to run into Nagasaki Soyo, Haru's girlfriend. That unexpected twist forced her to abandon her plans.
"But Soyo, you…"
Haru turned his gaze to Soyo, standing beside Uika with a coffee cup in her hands. Soyo straightened as if snapping out of a daze.
"Um, I—"
"Soyo!? I knewyou were here!"
Before she could explain, Taki stepped out from behind Haru, brows tightly furrowed, her jet-black hair flowing behind her.
The sudden confrontation left Soyo slightly stunned. She had no time to react before Taki, face cold and stern, stormed forward with fierce purpose.
Faced with the black-haired beauty bearing down on her, already guilty Soyo broke into a cold sweat and stumbled two steps back.
"Taki-chan, what's going on?"
"You're asking me? You said you had something to do and couldn't make the party, and yet here you are, at Haru's apartment?"
Arms crossed, Taki stared hard at the smiling woman in front of her. The moment she laid eyes on her, Taki fully believed the intel from Wakaba Mutsumi. That little cucumber-fairy had nailed it!
Nagasaki Soyo had actually come early and waited at Haru's place!
Thank god Taki had followed him. Who knows what might've happened otherwise?
"…I was just like Uika. I had something I had to take care of, so I couldn't go to the party… but afterward, I felt it wasn't right, so I came here to apologize in person."
Still shaken by Uika's earlier confrontation, the anxious Soyo toyed with her fingertips and responded in a soft voice.
Uika's eyes twitched as she turned her head and stared at Soyo, who was now using the exact same excuse she had just given.
Taki opened her mouth in shock, arms still crossed, and couldn't help asking, "You and Uika-san were dealing with the same thing?"
"No! I had my own things to handle."
Soyo could only force herself to explain, but the smile on her face was clearly far less composed than usual.
And the reason she'd lost that composure, why she now looked nervous and on edge was none other than the girl beside her, Uika.
Just moments ago, Uika had learned some "untrue" information from Soyo's own mouth. If she were to pass all of that on to Haru, even someone like Soyo, who usually kept her cool, wouldn't be able to bear the consequences.
She couldn't let Haru know what she'd been up to. She couldn't bear the thought of him hating her.
"Huh? Then what were you so busy with?"
Taki's sharp question left Soyo speechless.
She opened her mouth, but after all that time, still couldn't come up with a single answer.
"..."
Uika's sharp gaze swept across the guilt-ridden face of Soyo, then shifted slowly to Haru, standing a short distance away.
After a brief pause in thought, she sighed inwardly and once again put on a gentle smile, taking the initiative to speak.
"Now that I think about it, it's gotten a little late today, hasn't it? Since Haru isn't upset with me over this, I can finally head home and sleep easy!"
"I understand. Be careful on your way back, Uika."
Haru took a deep breath and didn't try to stop her.
Leaving aside the fact that both Taki and Soyo, his girlfriends, were still in the room, he and Uika weren't quite "just friends," but even so, there was no way he'd offer to walk her home and leave the two girls behind.
Once Uika left, only the three of them remained.
Now that the "outsider" was gone, Taki's long-suppressed emotions were clearly threatening to spill over.
She really wanted to question what the hell Soyo was trying to pull, but knowing that emotional outbursts wouldn't solve anything, she forced herself to sit down on the couch and calm her nerves.
The air between the three grew increasingly heavy. After a moment's thought, Haru glanced at Soyo, who looked visibly uneasy, and gave Taki a quick look, signaling her to hold off for now.
Taki blinked, surprised for a second, then furrowed her brows and reluctantly stepped aside.
As his girlfriend, she would unconditionally support Haru's judgment. She knew that if she let herself go, she might end up yelling at Soyo, so if Haru had his own approach to handling this, all she needed to do was trust him.
Seeing Taki make space for him, Haru finally allowed himself to exhale.
"Soyo, mind if I sit?"
"…No."
Seeing Soyo looking so small and uncertain, Haru felt his heart soften. He sighed quietly and stepped toward her. Under her nervous gaze, he slowly sat down beside her on the couch.
He really needed to talk to her properly.
No matter what, Soyo wasn't just trying to get closer to him anymore. As her boyfriend, someone who had mutually confirmed their feelings, he had a responsibility to understand her actions and emotions, even if she hadn't crossed any lines yet.
But Haru also knew how love-starved and insecure Soyo really was. Beneath her calm, mature facade was a kind and gentle heart. That knowledge made it hard for him to even figure out how to begin.
So for now, they just sat side by side.
"Haru, do you… do you hate me now?"
Before he could think of the right words, Soyo turned toward him, her voice shaky.
"Huh? Why would you say that?"
"I don't know… I just suddenly had that feeling…"
Her gaze was downcast as she sat beside him, her pale, slender fingers fidgeting with each other. She wanted to scoot closer, but her anxiety held her back. Normally so dependable, like an older sister, she now seemed fragile beyond words.
She was still reeling from Uika's cutting stare, afraid that Uika might tell Haru everything and then, she found out that Haru hadn't come home alone, Taki had come with him, and her cold stare only deepened Soyo's fear.
Now her boyfriend was sitting beside her with a serious expression.
That alone made her heart tremble uncontrollably.
She was afraid he'd look at her the same way Uika and Taki had with a cold and piercing gaze. Afraid he'd say something so painful, she didn't even want to imagine it.
But even so, she couldn't bring herself to say what she truly felt.
Because the reason she was able to be with Haru at all was because she had agreed to and supported the idea of a harem. If she admitted now that she actually wanted to be the only one, she couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of face he would make.
To him, that would be a betrayal.
Just picturing the moment he learned the truth chilled her to the bone.
"…I'm sorry!"
Soyo suddenly blurted out, grabbing hold of Haru's sleeve. Her light blue eyes shimmered with a heartbreaking vulnerability.
"Please don't!"
"Please don't hate me! I… I don't want you to hate me…"
Her soft brown curls fell over her shoulders and down her chest. The beautiful, gentle face that always wore a smile now looked panicked and desperate. Tears welled in her eyes as she clutched Haru's sleeve with trembling fingers, as if she feared he'd vanish at any moment.
Her heart, buried beneath her ribs, ached like it had been pierced with needles. Her breath grew ragged, and her apologies came out in a quivering voice, her forehead dotted with sweat, looking pitiful and helpless.
The cunning smile she always wore was nowhere to be found.
Seeing her break down like this left Taki uncertain what to do. She crossed her arms, then lowered them, then shifted them behind her. No matter how she stood, it felt wrong.
But Soyo was too consumed by fear to notice Taki's confusion.
"Haru… I love you. I really, really love you…"
Regret, fear, desperation, sorrow... waves of emotion surged through her in fragments. She clung to the fragile warmth she had found in him, the one light that belonged to her alone. But that warmth threatened to slip away, swallowed by the storm inside her.
She didn't want to be hated.
She had finally found what it meant to have a home. She no longer had to pretend to be strong. She had finally met someone she could love with her whole heart. She no longer had to hide behind a mask.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"
"I'm sorry for using you because of Sakiko… I'm sorry for manipulating you with Mutsumi… I'm sorry for walking out after the live show without saying anything… I'm sorry for faking weakness just to earn your sympathy… I'm sorry for using Anon to make you feel guilty…"
Soyo bowed her head and apologized again and again.
The way her delicate body trembled against his sleeve, the look of complete vulnerability on the girl who was once so composed and sly, it left Haru stunned, unable to speak.
He had only intended to give her a bit of a warning.
Who would've thought that just sitting beside her, before he even said a word, would make her fall apart and spill everything in this frightened, tearful confession?
Now, there was nothing he could say.
"It's okay, it's okay. I don't hate you, Soyo. Not at all."
With a long, helpless sigh, Haru reached out and gently pulled the trembling girl into his arms.
As she felt the warmth she had feared touching only moments ago, Soyo clung to him with all her might, as if trying to merge their bodies into one. Yet even in that closeness, she feared being greedy, feared being rejected. All she could do was quietly breathe in his scent.
Not far away, Taki watched, her expression stiff. She opened her mouth, on the verge of saying something, but in the end, she swallowed the words and turned her face away from the scene.
"…Tch."
Taki turned her head away, still feeling uncomfortable as if sitting on pins and needles.
After struggling with her thoughts for a while, she finally clicked her tongue softly and turned to leave in the direction of the bedroom.
Soyo, completely consumed by anxiety, didn't seem to notice Taki's temporary retreat.
She remained curled up in Haru's arms, trembling as she tried to cling to that fragile, hard-earned warmth.
Hearing the girl's repeated apologies, Haru responded in a gentle voice, "Soyo, everything you said… I already knew. None of it matters that much to me."
Soyo's shoulders trembled, and she looked up, clearly caught off guard.
"…You really don't hate me?"
"Why would I hate you, Soyo?"
"Do you still… like me?"
"I do. That's something I've never doubted."
The girl sniffled softly, and the fear and anxiety clouding her heart began to melt away.
Held close in Haru's arms, listening to his comforting voice, even Soyo, who had moments ago been overwhelmed by negativity, slowly began to calm down. Still, that didn't mean her nerves had completely vanished. The fear she'd just experienced had left a scar deep enough to rattle her very core.
"It's okay now. I'll always be by your side."
Haru patted her back gently, like soothing a child. After several minutes of comfort, Soyo's teary eyes finally settled into quiet.
Seeing how fragile she looked, Haru let out a quiet sigh. He had never intended to expose her feelings directly, he just wanted to hint at things, give her space to come to terms with them herself. But he hadn't expected her emotions to break loose like a flood the moment he got close.
As her boyfriend, Haru could clearly tell that Soyo's breakdown was real. If he had ignored her now, he couldn't even imagine what she might have become.
But with things having gone this far...
Whatever she had been thinking before, she would probably back down for now.
…
"What's going on out there?"
After comforting Soyo, Haru headed into the bedroom, where an impatient Taki immediately asked him.
Haru just shrugged. Honestly, even he didn't know how to explain everything that had just happened.
In the end, he simply shook his head and said with a resigned tone, "All in all, the outcome wasn't too bad, I think?"
"…Why are you speaking in riddles?"
Taki rolled her eyes, unimpressed by his vague answer.
"I mean, Soyo has calmed down for the most part. She's still a little uneasy, but nothing serious."
"You don't have to worry about her, Taki. Soyo doesn't mean any harm. If anything happens later, I'll take responsibility… of course, I'll still need your help. If you could just get along with her, that'd make things easier."
Noticing the shift in Taki's eyes, Haru quickly added that last part. Her expression tightened as she turned her head away.
"No way. I can't get along with that girl no matter what."
Taki already had a grudge against Soyo from past events, and her blunt, rigid nature left her with no tolerance for fake smiles. She simply couldn't stand the way Soyo always wore that too-perfect grin.
"I'm begging you here, oh mighty Taki-aemon!" (Dor-aemon Reference)
"…What kind of dumb nickname is that? Am I supposed to be a raccoon?"
Watching Haru clasp his hands together in mock supplication as if he were about to summon some cosmic power, Taki could only sigh in defeat. She rubbed her temples to ease the tension, took a few steadying breaths, then finally relented.
"Fine, fine. I'll try to get along with her."
"Seriously, what a pain… but I guess I'm already dating you, so I'm stuck on this pirate ship whether I like it or not."
Taki let out a half-hearted huff of complaint, but her blushing cheeks betrayed the warmth in her heart.
It wasn't just about doing what Haru asked. Seeing the supposedly sly and shameless Nagasaki Soyo break down like that had left Taki feeling a little… conflicted.
Soyo could actually make that kind of face?
Watching her expression, Haru raised an eyebrow, then chuckled. "Really, thank you for stepping out earlier. I don't think Soyo would've calmed down so quickly otherwise."
"…I only left because it was too awkward to stay. Who knows, you two might've started tearing each other's clothes off."
Taki said it dismissively, her face flushing pink as she refused to admit anything else.
Still, the whole situation had been pretty surprising. That sly Soyo had shown a side of herself Taki hadn't expected. Thinking back, it was all thanks to Mutsumi's intel. Without that, things might've turned out very differently tonight.
Taki felt her trust in the stoic cucumber-girl grow a little deeper. She decided to talk to Mutsumi later when she got home.
But as the word "home" crossed her mind, Taki suddenly frowned and turned to Haru.
"So… what are you planning for tonight? Are you letting that girl stay over?"
"Come on. You know that's not happening. My place isn't big enough for three people."
Haru's not-so-innocent reply made Taki's ears flush even redder. She cleared her throat and forced herself to speak seriously.
"T-then why don't I just take her home with me? Our places aren't far apart anyway. It's better than letting her sneak off again."
Her awkward suggestion made Haru lift an amused eyebrow, and the look in his eyes made Taki freeze.
"…I—I'll go get her!"
Bright red and clearly embarrassed, Taki turned on her heel and marched back to the living room.
It was obvious she had originally planned to stay the night herself. But if she did, Soyo definitely would too. And if that was the case, it was probably better for both of them to head home.
Haru looked around at his tiny apartment, then muttered with a sigh of resignation:
"Looks like it's really time to move."