It was yet another morning where exhaustion clung to the air, even before the day had properly begun.
Kasumigaoka Utaha lay sprawled lazily across the bed, her silky black hair cascading over the pillows, the faint morning light glinting against her striking wine-red eyes. She blinked at the sight before her—Kasumigaoka Touji, already dressed neatly and looking far too energetic for someone who had shared last night's… battles with her.
Her voice carried both disbelief and curiosity as she asked, "Otouto-kun, aren't you tired?"
It wasn't the first time she had wanted to ask this. In fact, the question had been gnawing at her for a while now.
Touji simply tugged at his collar, turning with a smirk that was equal parts cocky and playful. "Tired? Not at all. Utaha, you're too weak. I could take on five like you."
He even raised a hand and spread out his fingers, as if the gesture would somehow solidify his outrageous claim.
Utaha's lips twitched, the corners of her mouth curving in a dangerous arc.
Five?
As if. This baka otouto-kun really dared to look down on her? She scoffed in her head. Two of me would already make you cry uncle. Who does he think he is, acting all smug like that?
Rolling her eyes in exasperation, Utaha turned her gaze away, unwilling to feed his inflated ego any further. Still, beneath that lazy irritation was the faintest warmth. After all, by now she no longer rejected Kani Nayuta's presence.
Partly because even Utaha had to admit—handling Touji alone was simply impossible. And partly because, in her own quiet way, she had felt the depth of his affection for her. That much had already been enough to settle her heart.
Touji broke the silence as he tugged his jacket into place. "I'm heading to the convenience store later. Want me to bring you something to eat?"
Utaha tapped her chin, her expression thoughtful, though her eyes gleamed with mischief. "Hmm… Matsunoya's fried pork cutlet curry rice. Jonathan's grilled salmon set meal. Oh, and Coffee-kan's charcoal-roasted coffee with an egg salad sandwich."
Touji stopped mid-step, hand already on the doorknob. "…Say something you can actually buy at a convenience store."
Utaha ignored the exasperation in his voice, lazily stretching her arms above her head before letting them flop back onto the blanket. "If you can deliver one of those three within half an hour, then otouto-kun is officially allowed to not come home tonight."
Her tone was drawling, almost indifferent, but every word carried the weight of an unshakable decree.
Touji blinked at her, stunned. "…Eh?"
So last night's destructive performance as Kasumi Utako had left her feeling bold enough to issue such a challenge, huh?
He checked his phone, thumb tapping the screen. "Half an hour, right? It's… ten-oh-five. Which means—ah, already past ten. Just wait for me!"
Pocketing his phone with determination, he strode out of the bedroom.
Among the three restaurants Utaha mentioned, only one existed in Wako City. Normally it took around twelve minutes to get there on foot. Which meant, if he ran, he could make it with time to spare.
He didn't even bother freshening up. Slipping on his shoes, Touji dashed out of the house, feet pounding the pavement as the morning air rushed against his face.
"Hmm?"
Passing by the Izumi household, he nearly collided with Izumi Masamune, who was just leaving, a document bag slung over his shoulder. Masamune froze mid-step, his eyes wide. "Touji-kun? What are you doing running like that?"
From a distance, Touji's reply came sharp and unapologetic. "Morning run!"
"…Eh?"
Masamune tilted his head, then instinctively glanced at the sky before pulling out his phone. Ten-oh-five. His lips twitched. Morning run? At this hour? Baka.
Shaking his head, he tightened his grip on the bag and hurried off toward the station. He still had to meet with an editor today. In his world, life might be fleeting, but deadlines were eternal.
Meanwhile, Touji pushed himself harder, each stride growing more powerful as his muscles warmed beneath the sun's glow. When he had first dashed out of the house, his legs had protested, still weary from last night. But soon, his long strides became smoother, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat syncing with the pounding of his feet.
By the time he reached Matsunoya, the sight of him—running like a track star this early in the day—had already drawn curious stares from passersby.
He ignored them all, heading straight inside. "One fried pork cutlet curry rice, and one beef croquette. Takeout, please."
His voice was calm, steady, not a trace of breathlessness despite the sprint. Pulling out his phone again, he checked the screen: ten-oh-seven.
Of course, that wasn't the full truth. He had deliberately reported the time a few minutes late back home, just in case. Utaha would never know the difference.
Opening his online payment app, Kasumigaoka Touji scanned the QR code and raised the screen to the boss with a calm nod. The familiar chime of money received rang out in the shop a second later.
The boss, dressed in a spotless white chef's uniform and busy breading pork cutlets, gave a cheerful smile. "Please wait a moment, young man."
Touji returned the nod politely, but the moment the boss turned back to his work, Touji's hand was already pulling out his phone. His thumb tapped the LINE app, and within seconds he sent a message.
[Touji]: "Kani Nayuta-sensei, come out and play!"
Almost instantly, his phone buzzed with a reply. It wasn't even text—it was a sticker: a plump little bear tilting its head with a "Where are we playing?" expression.
Touji smirked to himself. As fast as ever, Nayuta-sensei. I knew you'd reply in seconds.
He leaned one arm on the counter while typing again. [Touji]: "Is there anywhere you want to go?"
For a brief moment, he expected something like a café, a bookstore, or maybe even some obscure shop filled with doujinshi. Instead—
[Kani Nayuta]: "Yes, a love hotel! (/ω＼)!"
Touji froze. His eyes widened. Then, slowly, a grin stretched across his lips. Okay, okay… you said it yourself.
His fingers danced across the screen with zero hesitation. [Touji]: "Alright, I'll satisfy you!"
"…Eh?"
Back in her room, Kani Nayuta nearly dropped her phone. Her silver hair tumbled over her shoulders as she blinked in disbelief, whispering to herself, "Is he serious? Real or fake…?" Her cheeks flushed pink as she typed furiously.
[Kani Nayuta]: "If you say that, I'll get excited, you know!" [Kani Nayuta]: "If you don't take me to a hotel, I'll come straight to your house!"
Her message practically radiated mischief, but beneath it was genuine excitement. It was a probe, really. If it worked, she would end up in a love hotel with her idol. If it failed… well, crashing at her idol's house tomorrow didn't sound like a loss either.
Touji read the message and let out a low laugh. His pulse quickened. Truth be told, he was even more excited than she was. Still, he wasn't some brainless baka who would drag her into a hotel the instant they met.
His thumbs moved quickly across the screen. [Touji]: "How about this—we meet around twelve o'clock at Oshiage Station in Sumida. We'll grab lunch nearby, then check out the aquarium, wander a bit, and head up to Tokyo Skytree in the evening. After that… hotel at night."
He paused, staring at the message before hitting send. This wasn't going to be some cheap hookup. If he was going to take Nayuta-sensei seriously, then he wanted a proper date first.
On the other side of the screen, Kani Nayuta's eyes went round as saucers. "Eh? Are you for real!?" She could hardly believe it. The sheer detail in his plan… this wasn't a joke. Her heart skipped, then started racing faster and faster.
"A date… It's a date, right? And then straight to a hotel after…" She pressed her fingers to her lips, her breath unsteady, before she licked them nervously.
Then she remembered something important and quickly typed another message. [Kani Nayuta]: "…Just the two of us?"
Touji's reply came instantly, sharp and without hesitation. [Touji]: "Yes!"
The second she saw it, Nayuta shot up from her gaming chair with such force that it nearly toppled backward. Her silver hair fluttered around her as she clenched her fists in giddy triumph.
"Kyaaa! Just the two of us! It's really a date!"
Her voice echoed through the empty room, and her flushed cheeks betrayed just how excited she was.