He watched her walk away until she disappeared around the corner of the building, then slumped against the vending machine with a heavy sigh. That had gone about as badly as he'd expected, but at least it was over. Now he just had to figure out how to stick to the arrangement they'd made.
By the time he finally approached his apartment, the sky had darkened into twilight, the fading light doing little to mask his exhaustion. Every muscle protested as he moved. The wounds from the fights have not yet healed.
Climbing the stairs was a slow, deliberate effort, each movement sharpening his awareness of the injuries he'd still been ignoring. The cuts stung, the bruises throbbed, and his left side burned with every breath.
Then, as he struggled with the keys at his door, it struck him—Satsuki would be inside. She'd be there, as she always was, ready to greet him with that quiet concern of hers. And if she saw him like this—the swollen lip, the scraped knuckles, the way he winced when he moved—she wouldn't just ask questions. She'd demand answers.
Worse yet, she'd want a name. And if she learned it was Kazuma…
Haruto paused with his key halfway to the lock. Satsuki had a protective streak a mile wide, especially when it came to him. If she thought someone had hurt him, she wouldn't just be angry—she'd be furious. And a furious Satsuki was a dangerous thing.
He couldn't let her see him like this. Not until he'd had a chance to heal up a bit. But where could he go? His apartment was the only place he had, and all his stuff was there.
Then it hit him. Jun. His best friend had been bugging him for weeks to come hang out at his place. Maybe he could crash there for a night or two, just until the worst of the visible damage faded.
Haruto pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts until he found Jun's number. His friend picked up on the second ring.
"Yo, Haruto! What's up, man?"
"Hey, Jun. Listen, I know this is kind of last minute, but could I crash at your place tonight? Maybe tomorrow night too?"
"Again?!... Sure, no problem. Everything okay?"
"Yeah, just... you know how it is. Sometimes you need a change of scenery."
Jun laughed. "I get it. Come on over whenever. You know where the spare key is if I'm not here."
"Thanks, man. I owe you one."
"Don't worry about it. See you later."
Haruto hung up and took a deep breath. Now came the hard part—calling Satsuki. He scrolled to her number and hit dial, his stomach churning as he waited for her to answer.
"Haruto?" Her voice was bright and cheerful, the way it always was when he called. "Are you on your way home? I made your favorite curry tonight."
The guilt hit him like a physical blow. She'd been cooking for him, probably looking forward to hearing about his day, and here he was about to lie to her.
"Actually, that's why I'm calling," he said, trying to keep his voice casual. "I'm going to stay at Jun's place tonight. Maybe tomorrow night too."
There was a pause on the other end of the line, and when she spoke again, her voice was quieter. "Oh. Why?! I didn't see your face for days!"
Haruto could hear something in her tone that made his chest tighten. Was she... was she crying?
"Just, you know, guy stuff. We're working on this project together, and it's easier if I just stay over there."
"Is it because Jun's cooking is better than mine?" The question came out in a rush, and he could definitely hear tears in her voice now. "Did I do something wrong? I can make something else if you don't like the curry..."
"No No, Satsuki, your cooking is amazing. The best I've ever had. This has nothing to do with that."
He wanted nothing more than to run home right now and wrap her in his arms, tell her everything was okay. The mental image of her standing in their kitchen, tears streaming down her face as she worried that he didn't like her food, was almost unbearable.
"Then why?" she asked, and her voice was so small and hurt that he almost broke.
"We're... we're studying for this big exam," he said, the lie feeling like ash in his mouth. "It's easier to focus when we're working together, and his place has better internet for research and stuff."
Another pause, longer this time. "You could bring Jun here. I could cook for both of you."
"I know you could, and that's really sweet of you. But you know how Jun is—he gets distracted easily. It's better if we're at his place where there aren't any... distractions."
He hated himself for implying that she was a distraction, especially when he could hear her trying not to cry on the other end of the line.
"Okay," she said finally, and her voice was steadier now, though he could still hear the hurt underneath. "If that's what you need to do."
"It's just for a day or two," he said quickly. "I'll be home soon, okay?"
"Okay. I'll... I'll save some curry for you. For when you get back."
"That sounds perfect. I love you, Satsuki."
"I love you too."
She hung up, and Haruto stared at his phone for a long moment, feeling like the worst person in the world. He'd made two girls cry today, and both times it was because he was trying to protect them from something. When had his life gotten so complicated?