Why was Sakayanagi Arisu here?
Alarm bells rang in Karuizawa Kei's mind, but fortunately her facial control was impeccable. Outwardly, she only appeared slightly surprised.
Sakayanagi Arisu looked as though she was about to leave. After glancing at Kei for a moment, she took the initiative to speak:
"You must be Karuizawa-san. I'm Sakayanagi Arisu, currently studying chess under Ryo."
"Since today's schedule was a bit tight, I won't take up more of your time. I really enjoy watching your performances."
She concisely explained her relationship with Kitagawa Ryo, her reason for being in his home, and offered a polite compliment. Then, Sakayanagi stepped aside and passed Kei on her way out.
Only then did Karuizawa fully process what had happened. Sakayanagi didn't know her yet.
She responded just as politely, "Thank you, it's nice to meet you."
"Then I'll be on my way," Sakayanagi added with a slight bow, her manners flawless.
Before meeting Ryo in person, she had of course done her research. She was well aware of who Karuizawa Kei was.
Tapping her cane along the stairs as she descended, Sakayanagi thought back to Kei's initial reaction.
It was strange. This should have been their first meeting, and yet—
"Hello, Father."
The faint vibration from her pocket interrupted her thoughts. Pausing at the stairwell landing, Sakayanagi answered the call.
"Yes, I submitted the family guest list for the cultural festival myself."
"Father always just attends for appearances anyway, and in the end, I'm left alone."
She gave a faint, somewhat bitter smile.
"Sorry, I didn't mean that as a complaint."
Ever since her mother passed away, her father had done his best to provide a warm and accommodating home for her. Even if their contact had lessened in recent years due to his work, Arisu held no resentment.
"Understood. Thank you, Father."
Her finger hovered over the red hang-up button, ending the short call.
In the end, her father had agreed to her willful plan. That meant that this November, in the chill of early winter, Sakayanagi Arisu would, for the first time, have a companion to stroll with at the school's cultural festival.
She stepped out onto the street and cast a glance back toward Kitagawa Ryo's window.
The closer she got to him, the more she could feel the talent hidden within.
But beyond talent, there were also many things in this world that could only be experienced through genuine human connection.
"Cough, cough."
Perhaps she had hurried down the stairs too quickly—Sakayanagi coughed, discomfort bubbling up from her throat.
Still, as someone who had lived with a congenital heart condition since birth, this was nothing new. Once she calmed her breathing, she made her way toward the luxury car waiting nearby to pick her up.
To distill the meaning of life to its core—it came down to birth and death, and the pain in between.
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Once the figure disappeared completely from her line of sight, Karuizawa Kei finally let out a breath of relief.
"So it was you, Kei."
Kitagawa Ryo looked toward the entrance from the living room as he walked in from the kitchen, drying his hands with a towel after washing the dishes.
"Yeah. Was that little kid just now your new student? What grade is she in—elementary school?"
Kei asked casually while changing into her indoor slippers.
"Well, Arisu is pretty short, but she's not that short."
Ryo chuckled and explained, "She's actually the same grade as us."
"Wow, you really are amazing, Ryo. Already taking same-age students under your wing."
"Better not say that in front of her next time. Today counts as 'no blame for the unaware.'"
Ryo shook his head and reminded her, "She has a congenital heart condition. That's why she appears smaller than other students her age."
"Ah, sorry. Got it."
Kei stuck out her tongue playfully. Her eyes drifted to the chessboard on the table, pieces still scattered. This was something she probably wouldn't grasp even with two lifetimes.
"Actually, I didn't agree to be her teacher. She just decided on her own to treat me like one."
Ryo made a joke while tidying up the black and white chess pieces.
"Heard you caused quite a stir in the drama club today?"
"You must've heard that from Kushida. It wasn't a big deal. I just chatted with the new students for a bit."
Kei helped him pack away the chessboard and pieces into a cabinet.
"Unlike you, the president who hasn't shown his face once since school started."
"Exactly. But maybe the drama club's gotten used to having an absentee leader. If I really showed up now, maybe they'd be the ones who feel out of place."
Ryo took a canned soda from the fridge and was about to make hot cocoa for Kei, only to see she'd already started making it herself.
"Drinking cold stuff in April? If you were still in the theater troupe, the old man would yell your ears off."
Kei returned to the living room with her steaming cocoa. Ryo's soda hissed with bubbles, its cold mist drifting into the air.
"Well, I'm not in the troupe anymore, so I don't need to follow every little rule."
Having spent over two years together in the troupe, their conversations were relaxed and familiar.
"Met an interesting student at the club today—and she's connected to you."
"Horikita Suzune? She actually came looking for you?"
Ryo asked with mild surprise. He'd thought Horikita would keep toughing it out on her own. He hadn't expected her to reach out to Kei.
"Yep. At first, she asked for help. Then she tried to bribe me. It was kind of funny."
Kei sipped her cocoa and added, "Honestly, Ryo, you really made things tough for her. I read her file. Back in elementary and middle school, Horikita had frequent conflicts with her classmates. She's the lone-wolf type."
"People don't change overnight. You should know that."
That was what puzzled Kei. No matter how hard Horikita tried, there was no way she could discard the worldview and values she'd built over the past several years. Which meant she couldn't possibly pass the final drama club exam.
Kids that age are the most stubborn and self-centered, especially someone like Horikita Suzune.
Kei couldn't even picture Horikita playing Lady Macbeth.
More than that, she doubted Horikita could even cooperate with anyone other than Horikita Manabu.
No, at this point, she probably couldn't even speak properly if she saw her brother again.
"Exactly. That's why I never planned on letting her pass the drama club entrance exam through acting."
Ryo smiled casually.
"But... whether she realizes that or not is up to her."
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Horikita Suzune felt like her life was going off track.
For the first time, her internal clock had deviated from the strict schedule she had meticulously followed over the past year.
When she looked at her phone and saw "7:03," dark circles under her eyes, she finally realized she'd stayed up late reading the script.
With time running short, she chose a simple homemade sandwich for breakfast. Living alone, she'd learned to cook for herself from an early age.
She quickly prepared breakfast, packed an extra portion into a lunchbox, and rushed to school.
After receiving tips from Karuizawa Kei, she had practiced repeatedly in front of the mirror. This afternoon would be the perfect time to test her progress at the drama club, especially with final evaluations just two days away.
If she wanted to meet her brother at Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, she had to get into the drama club.
With that goal firm in mind, Horikita paid close attention during morning classes and used her lunch break to head toward the drama club.
Few people were around at that hour, so eating lunch on the way would save time. She pulled out the sandwich from her bag—unlike the ones from convenience stores wrapped in cling film, hers was in a reusable zippered sandwich pouch. The shape was perfect and easy to clean.
Distracted by unzipping the pouch with her head down, Horikita collided squarely with another girl at a corner. Fortunately, neither of them fell. However, the other girl's pineapple bun rolled across the floor.
"Sorry, sorry!"
"Sorry."
They both instinctively apologized. Horikita quickly picked up the now-dusty bun. The other girl wore a mask, her long bangs hiding her expression.
Looking down at her own sandwich bag, Horikita pulled one out.
"I'm really sorry for bumping into you. Here, have one of mine."
"It's fine, really."
The girl waved her hands, brushing dust off her skirt.
"I can just go buy another. I wasn't paying attention either."
"No, take it. I knocked it down. Or if you'd prefer the same one, I can go buy it for you."
Horikita tossed the pineapple bun into the trash.
"Then I'll take one," the girl finally said.
She wasn't quite sure how to handle someone as assertive as Horikita, and it felt wrong to make her run another errand. So she nodded and accepted the sandwich.
"Are you headed to the drama club? They're not open today."
The girl, just returning from the club herself, spoke up as Horikita was about to leave.
The drama club was located in a remote corner of the school. This path led directly there, which made it easy to guess.
She looked a little disappointed—she'd clearly put effort into preparing for today, only to find the place locked.
"Got it," Horikita replied and sat down on a nearby bench to eat her lunch.
"Are you in the drama club?" the girl asked, sitting beside her with the sandwich in hand.
"Not officially."
Horikita answered somewhat awkwardly—she felt guilty about earlier.
"Have you met the club president, Kitagawa?"
Horikita paused mid-bite.
"I saw him once at the start of the term, and again last week."
"So the rumors are true."
The girl exhaled in relief. Horikita glanced at her.
"What rumors?"
"That Kitagawa left the theater world and returned to school."
She spoke naturally, then took a bite of the sandwich.
"Mmm... Did you make this yourself?"
"Yes."
"It's delicious!"
"Really...? Thanks."
It was the first time anyone had complimented her cooking. Horikita blinked in surprise, realizing it was also the first time she'd shared her food with someone.
"It tastes amazing—even though it's cold, the flavors are well layered."
The girl clearly wasn't just being polite. She ate enthusiastically, bite after bite.
After a week full of setbacks, this was a rare bright moment for Horikita.
"Here, take this one too."
After a brief hesitation, she handed the other sandwich over.
"Since your bun got dirty earlier."
She felt better after offering an explanation.
"Were you here to see Kitagawa?"
"Yeah. We're friends."
The girl nodded with a smile.
"He's really good at cooking too. I learned a bit from him."
"So... which tastes better? Mine or his?"
Something stirred inside her—an odd sense of competitiveness.
"They're both great. Comparing them doesn't really matter. Good food's meant to make people happy."
Having finished both sandwiches, the girl smiled seriously.
"When I was stressed during rehearsals, Kitagawa would make me sweets. He'd say sugar would glue my lips and teeth together so my lines wouldn't escape."
"He did things like that...?"
Horikita murmured, touching her lips.
Kitagawa had never shown that side to her.
Not that she cared or anything.
"Once you get into the club, maybe you two can share cooking tips. His desserts are really good."
"I-I don't care about that."
Horikita shook her head and took a bite of her sandwich, muttering softly to herself.
Of course, the girl didn't hear her.
Thinking Horikita was just another new member, she rested her chin on her hand and mused aloud:
"Now that I think about it, if I'd had your level of cooking back then, maybe I could've supported the troupe from behind the scenes. I couldn't share the stage with him, but I could've helped with meals, sewing costumes, or setting up the stage. At least I could've done something for him."
Horikita paused mid-bite.
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Using the reflection from the glass nearby, the girl gently smoothed out the crease near her collar. She checked herself from top to bottom once more before taking a deep breath. Then, patting both cheeks lightly with her palms, the subtle sting brought a tinge of pain—just enough to sharpen her focus—as she revealed the perfect smile she had practiced countless times at home.
After doing all of this, she finally switched the bag she had been clutching tightly in her right hand to her left, and, with a bit of nervous hesitation, used her right hand to knock on the door of a classroom located at the very end of the third floor of this school building.
"Come in."
Kitagawa Ryo, with his legs crossed, was lounging on a reclining chair reading a mystery novel—one that Hiyori had recommended to him just a few days ago.
Tomorrow was the final audition for the Drama Club. Today, there was a meeting he absolutely had to attend as the club president—otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered coming at all.
Was it Kushida Kikyo here to remind him about the meeting?
Ryo lazily looked up toward the door.
"Um, President Kitagawa…"
Horikita Suzune wore a painfully stiff smile, as if someone were holding a gun to her back.
She lifted the lunchbox in her right hand.
"Cooked… lunch… hun— you—"
It sounded like she bit her tongue.
Her expression looked like she was on the verge of tears, yet she still managed to walk up to Kitagawa Ryo and placed the lunchbox on his desk.
Then she fled the room in a panic.
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