Something warm is brushing my cheek.
Sunlight.
And…
Breathing.
Very. Close. Breathing.
My eyes snap open.
Kaito is asleep.
Next to me.
Again.
On my futon.
His arms are casually folded behind his head, chest rising and falling softly, a peaceful look on his face like he's dreaming about floating on waves or something dumb like catching a fish with his bare hands.
My heart slams against my ribs.
I sit up so fast the blanket falls off me—and him.
"Again—?!" I hiss under my breath, hands clamping over my mouth.
We already did this! The last time we fell asleep together, we were on a cliff, for crying out loud! How does this keep happening?!
Before I can panic further—
BAM! BAM! BAM!
"Ayu-chan, breakfast is—"
The door slides open.
Grandma.
Mum.
Both standing in the doorway.
Time freezes.
Kaito, still half-asleep, lets out a groggy, "Mmmh?"
And then it hits him.
He blinks, sees the light pouring through the window… sees me wide-eyed and frozen… and finally realizes he is in my room. On my futon. With my family staring at us.
"…Oh," he says.
"OH?!" Mum practically shrieks, gripping the doorframe like she needs physical support. "AYUMI?!"
"Wait—this isn't—he just—!"
"It's not what it looks like," Kaito offers, sitting up and raising both hands like he's under arrest.
"Were you here all night?!" Grandma gasps.
"I—he climbed a tree!" I blurt. "I was sad! He just—!"
"And you let him stay all night?!" Mum yelps.
Kaito, now very much awake, blurts, "She called me a cat! It's a thing now!"
"This is a thing?!" Grandma repeats, absolutely scandalized.
"I didn't mean—!" I groan, hiding my face in both hands. "It's not like that! Nothing happened!"
Silence.
Then:
"…Ayu-nyan," Kaito mutters with a smirk. "They're not buying it."
I elbow him in the ribs. "Don't."
"I'm gonna go," he says, standing up and stretching, completely shameless. "Thanks for the hospitality, Ayu's family. Lovely moonlight. Great tatami."
"Kaito Hideaki," Mum says, her voice dangerously low. "We will be having a conversation later."
He gives her a polite bow. "Looking forward to it."
And then, in the most Kaito way possible, he climbs back out the window—cool as ever, like this is his morning routine.
I flop onto the futon and scream into the pillow.
"Who even is this boy?!"
Outside, I hear a muffled chuckle and a voice calling up:
"See you at school, Ayu-chan!"
I groan louder.
Grandma just sighs and walks off muttering something about "youth these days" and "at least close the window."