As the golden hues of the setting sun faded into the deepening indigo of dusk, the hallway outside echoed with the cheerful parting words of the newly settled neighbors.
"Goodbye, Gab-chan, Haruto-kun!"
Raphiel called out with a bright, knowing smile.
"See you tomorrow at school,"
Vignette added, offering a polite nod.
"Hmph! Just you wait, Haruto!"
Satanichia declared, puffing out her chest and pointing a dramatic finger at him.
"Next time, I will definitely make you submit to my demonic power!"
"Satania, really, don't be so rude!"
Vignette scolded lightly, tugging on the red-haired demon's sleeve as she dragged her toward the elevators.
Vignette and her two angelic companions finally bid their farewells to Haruto.
With his direct assistance, they had smoothly finalized the lease on the vacant apartment right down the hall.
Over the course of the afternoon, hauling boxes, assembling cheap furniture, and navigating building logistics had naturally broken the ice, turning them into a close-knit group of friends and shifting their casual greetings into familiar territory.
It wasn't until the elevator doors dinged shut and their figures completely disappeared from the hallway that Gabriel finally lowered her weary, mechanical waving hand.
"Phew~"
She let out a long, deeply exhausted sigh, slumping heavily against her doorframe.
"Finally... they're gone. I need to hurry back inside before my guild raids without me. The kingdom of Valhalla needs to be saved!"
Watching Gabriel's eyes light up with feverish gamer determination as she practically sprinted back toward her PC setup, Haruto couldn't help but offer a wry, amused smile.
"Well, I should probably head back to my own place too," he muttered, turning around.
Just as he took a step toward his door, Gabriel paused, poking her head back out into the hallway.
"Oh, wait! Vignette left a little housewarming thank-you gift for your help earlier. Make sure you don't forget to grab it."
Carrying a heavy, beautifully packaged bag of freshly baked pastries, Haruto felt a slight touch of exasperation mixed with amusement.
"She really gave me quite a lot..."
Vignette's natural, over-polite hospitality truly knew no bounds.
After standing in the doorway for a brief moment of contemplation.
Haruto decided it would be a waste to let so many sweets go to waste alone, so he walked a few paces down the hall and knocked gently on Yukino's door.
"This is a small return gift from my side," he said, handing over a box of the pastries when she opened up.
Yukino accepted the bag with a neat, graceful bow.
After a brief pause, a spark of natural inquisitiveness crossed her features.
"Thank you. Though... if you don't mind me asking, Haruto-kun, are you on particularly close terms with the academy's new transfer student, Gabriel Tenma?"
Having an exceptional memory that effortlessly cataloged every student enrolled at Sobu High, she naturally recognized the name of the girl who had recently caused a minor stir.
Haruto offered a noncommittal smile.
"Not particularly close in the traditional sense, but circumstances led to us understanding each other's... unique quirks quite well."
Yukino found the cryptic response rather vague and felt a subtle urge to dig deeper.
But before she could formulate her next question, a familiar voice drifted down the hall.
"Haruto-kun?"
Mai had just returned from her trip to the family estate.
Catching sight of Haruto standing in the hallway alongside a stunning, raven-haired girl, she stepped closer with a quiet, inquiring look.
"You're back early, Mai," Haruto said calmly, welcoming her with a warm look before bridging the introduction.
"Let me introduce you. This is our new next-door neighbor, and a fellow student at Sobu High—Yukino Yukinoshita."
"Yukino..."
Mai blinked, recognizing the name immediately as one of the school's most prominent figures.
"Hello, I'm Mai Sakurajima," she greeted politely.
Then, with a deliberate, soft smile, she naturally stepped closer to Haruto and added, "And I'm Haruto's girlfriend."
Faced with such an effortlessly radiant, famous beauty, a fleeting flicker of insecurity sparked in the back of Mai's mind, driving a slight surge of protective jealousy.
Haruto, however, didn't mind the display in the slightest.
To him, seeing Mai stake her claim was a delightful reminder of her affection, hinting that she was growing more open and confident in their relationship—which boded wonderfully for future, more adventurous domestic escapades.
Yukino, on the other hand, was completely and utterly taken aback.
He has a girlfriend?!
The revelation sent a mental loop through her thoughts.
If he was already happily taken, what on earth was she supposed to make of those wild, rumors about him boldly confessing his love to their guidance counselor, Shizuka Hiratsuka?
"By the way, Haruto, I need to talk to you about something important," Mai said, her tone carrying a hint of eager urgency.
Sensing the weight of whatever she had to share, Haruto promptly nodded, bade Yukino a polite farewell, and ushered Mai inside his apartment, the door clicking shut behind them.
"..."
Left standing alone in the hallway, Yukino stared blankly at the closed door, her sharp analytical mind connecting the dots with horrifying clarity.
Wait... are they already living together?!
Inside the quiet apartment, Haruto listened intently as Mai detailed every single exchange that had taken place with her mother earlier that day.
To her surprise, rather than reacting with excitement or relief at her mother's sudden willingness to meet him, Haruto's brow furrowed into a deep, critical scowl.
Noticing his unusually serious expression, Mai's heart fluttered with sudden anxiety.
She quickly reached out, her voice softening.
"Is this whole situation causing you trouble, Haruto? If dealing with my family is too much of a headache, we can just cut ties entirely..."
"No."
Haruto reached out, gently wrapping his hand around hers to stop her self-doubting spiral.
"You're overthinking it. It's not a burden to me."
He paused, a cold, analytical glint flashing in his eyes.
"I'm just thinking that your mother's sudden change of heart doesn't sound like she genuinely wants to support our relationship."
"Huh?" Mai blinked, caught off guard.
"Then why would she agree to meet you?"
Haruto tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"Simple. I suspect she wants to corner me privately and pressure me into breaking up with you. And knowing the typical playbook of high-society elites... she'll likely try to solve the 'problem' by throwing a massive check in my face."
"..."
Spelled out with such brutal, unfiltered clarity, the harsh reality hit Mai instantly.
She would have to be entirely blind not to see the exact pattern.
"She... truly hasn't changed at all, has she?"
Thinking back on the sharp, calculating gleam in her mother's eyes when asking about Haruto.
Mai realized with a sinking heart that her mother had been treating her entire future like a business negotiation from the very second they reunited.
•
[Yukino Yukinoshita]
•
*****
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