The restaurant where they had their last "argument" was still fresh in all three of their memories.
"Your dishes have arrived."
The waitress in uniform, her hair tied into braids, placed the plates on the table without expression. She only gave Haru and the two girls a quick glance, a trace of helplessness flickering in her eyes before she turned away.
Her looks had shifted over time, from the strangeness at first, to astonishment, then gradually changing into worry and even fear. And as time passed, that too had shifted again, until it settled into the still water of the calm and helplessness she wore now.
In just a few months, Haru had seen all kinds of expressions cross her face. The head chef in the back was probably used to it as well.
"Th-thank you…"
The modest Togawa, a little thin-skinned, gave a polite word of thanks. Yet that subtle look from the waitress made her cheeks flush red, and the nervousness and shyness she tried to keep buried deep inside caused her heart to beat faster.
The truth was, she had come to this restaurant more than a few times since "that time." Every time she came alone, the staff always gave her strange looks. Now that she thought about it, she understood why.
The blue-haired girl noticed this, and when she lifted her eyes to look at Haru, there was a hint of reproach in them.
Really now, it wasn't as if he had come here with her that many times…
"It seems people have quite a few misunderstandings about us, don't they?" Nagasaki Soyo said with a smile that did not reach her eyes, her dim blue gaze narrowing as her honeyed words were spoken with deliberate emphasis.
Strictly speaking, Haru had only been here with Soyo once and that could hardly be called spending time together, since it had been because of Sakiko's involvement. That incident had left behind an unforgettable and embarrassing memory in both of their minds.
"Ahem, anyway, let's eat, shall we?"
Haru of course understood what they were implying and could only cough lightly twice to ease the awkwardness.
At times like this, it was best to play dead. That was what all the manuals said.
Fortunately, the gentle and capable Soyo always carried the qualities of the perfect wife. After only a small complaint to express her displeasure, she pursed her lips, blew gently on the fried squid tentacles held by her chopsticks, and then brought them toward Haru's mouth.
Once he bit into the piece, Soyo skillfully took out a clean handkerchief, gently wiping away the crumbs at the corner of his mouth. The smoothness of her gestures left Sakiko staring in shock.
"…!"
Naturally, Soyo also noticed her fellow girlfriend's gaze. The corners of her lips lifted into a faint, satisfied smile.
See?
The difference between a wife and a wife-to-be was already obvious.
"Haru, try mine too!"
There was no way Sakiko would just stand by and be outdone. She quickly picked up a piece of expensive tuna sushi with her gloved hand, even placing her other hand beneath it to catch any falling crumbs. With graceful, precise movements, she offered it to his lips.
Even though the booth was meant for four, the three of them were crowded into one side, two girlfriends competing for his attention, unwilling to give an inch.
If one fed him with chopsticks, the other would feed him by hand. If one dared to feed him by hand, the other would dare to feed him with her mouth.
If it had only been the simple play of feeding, Haru could have just eaten everything and solved the matter. But just when things were at their peak, Soyo suddenly smiled and spoke.
"Haru, between me and Sakiko, whose 'flavor' do you think is better?"
How could she ask something like that?!
It was the purest kind of death trap question. Only a god could answer that.
Sweat broke out on Haru's forehead as he sat between them. He knew perfectly well that Soyo wasn't talking about food. Her words were laced with implication, pointing at something else entirely.
Since he hadn't actually "tasted" either, then obviously, she was hinting at kissing.
Even the usually meek Sakiko, soft as a lamb in front of him, couldn't ignore it this time. She raised her sharp, beautiful eyes to his profile, lips pressing together in a gesture that carried both nervousness and a hint of anticipation.
"I think it's a little hard to tell. Maybe… after some time, I'll know?"
Haru cautiously glanced left and right at his two girlfriends. Normally, he was brimming with confidence, always full of pride, able to face any situation with a smile. Yet now, he was showing such an embarrassed expression?
Cute. Just a little cute.
Soyo had never seen her husband wear such a look before, and her heart gave an extra beat. Blushing, she took a deep breath, her eyes sliding reproachfully toward Sakiko.
If Sakiko weren't sitting right there, she might not have been able to resist kissing him on the spot.
Of course, Sakiko was thinking the exact same thing. They both knew their bickering had gone too far, leaving their poor husband stuck between them, helpless.
"T-then, let's leave it for later?"
"That might be best…"
The two girls backed down in unison, but their excitement could not be hidden. Both of them now found themselves looking forward, almost uncontrollably, to the moments of being alone with Haru. Inevitably, certain shameful images crept into their minds.
Their flushed cheeks grew still, yet in their thoughts, the same idea passed through.
Things have already reached this point…
On the day of the date, what should I do?
…
Time passed quickly.
After the manager of the painter "Yuuka," Manager-san, boarded her flight to the exhibition venue, several days had gone by. As scheduled, two major international art exhibitions had now opened.
Manager-san called from overseas to inform Haru of the results. The two works he had submitted, one for the London International Art Exhibition and one for the Paris International Art Salon, had both miraculously taken the top gold prize at the same time.
"That's how it is. In any case, congratulations."
Her voice, cool and elegant, came through the line. Even though she tried her best to restrain her excitement, the slight rise in her tone betrayed her completely.
Haru wasn't particularly surprised by the news. He simply offered his thanks right away. "I should be the one thanking you, Manager-san. You've worked hard these past weeks."
"This is all part of my job. Please don't worry about it..."
"But 'Yuuka-sensei,' you don't seem very happy about it? Both of these exhibitions are among the highest-ranking in their respective countries. Only those who have already won one or two gold prizes before are eligible to participate. Yet you managed to astonish everyone there."
Her tone, usually so calm, now carried something unusual. She seemed to want Haru to understand just how prestigious these exhibitions were, and just how extraordinary his talent as a painter truly was.
To her, Haru was almost amusing. As if winning two national awards simultaneously had nothing to do with him.
Unfortunately, as "Yuuka" himself, Haru hadn't been at the venues in London or Paris. He had no idea what debates or discussions might have broken out among the judges and audience. All he knew was that his works had won the top prizes.
"You don't need to worry about me, Manager-san. I'm just a little surprised and don't know how to express it."
"…I suppose we'll leave it at that then?"
On the other end of the call, Manager-san gave a strange little complaint. Even across the line, Haru could almost picture her exasperated face. He honestly didn't know how to respond.
He couldn't just pretend to be overjoyed, could he?
Haru had no talent for acting. If Manager-san saw through him, things would only get even more awkward.
"Your 'Cinderella' piece, as I predicted, won first place. Its market value is now in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. After all, you only just debuted, yet you've already won three gold prizes, two of them in international-level exhibitions—"
"This means you are now firmly standing on the world stage. No one can doubt your strength anymore."
"With this, you should easily qualify for next year's 'Fantasy Exhibition.' But to make your position absolutely unshakable, I'm preparing to register you for several more upcoming international exhibitions."
Seeing how excited she was growing, Haru quickly cut in. "Manager-san, wait a moment. I probably won't have time to prepare for more exhibitions in the near future."
Perhaps it was because his tone carried more intensity than when he had first heard the award news, but she fell silent for several seconds, as if the air itself had gone still.
"You're busy, then?"
"I suppose you could say I'm 'a little' busy. I doubt I'll have much time."
How could he not be busy?
Just thinking about his upcoming "schedule" made Haru raise an eyebrow. Of course, being "busy" was only part of it. If he truly wanted, he could still set aside time to create new works for more exhibitions.
After all, if he could complete two major works in the same period, there was no reason he couldn't manage one more.
It was just that even the space for a "new work" had already been taken.
Breathing out a slow sigh, Haru answered with calm seriousness. "Actually, I'm preparing a new piece right now. I value this painting greatly… I want to devote myself completely to it, to pour all my inspiration into it. That's why I don't have the focus left to work on anything else."
The agent on the other end of the line was taken aback. She clearly hadn't expected Haru to respond in such a way.
After all, the works that had won the gold prizes at both the London and Paris exhibitions had been created by Haru during the same period. Two paintings with entirely different styles yet with a quality beyond imagination, both from the hand of one man.
An artist of such monstrous, top-tier talent, capable of producing two masterpieces at once and winning international gold for both, was now saying he wanted to devote himself wholeheartedly to just a single work. How could she possibly remain calm after hearing that?