"I'm home."
"Welcome back."
It was a little past seven in the evening when Minamoto Senya returned home.
From the living room, Toka poked her head out and said, "We left some dinner for you. Do you want me to heat it up now?"
Senya bent down to remove his shoes. "No need, I already ate at a friend's house. I'll just have it for breakfast tomorrow."
He had to admit, Saeko Busujima's cooking was surprisingly good. On top of that, her habit of cleaning as she cooked was impressive. Give it a few years, and she'd absolutely make an ideal wife and mother.
Toka walked over and picked up the long item Senya had set on the entryway cabinet. She unzipped the black cloth bag to reveal a brand-new wooden sword.
"You're planning to practice kendo now?"
"Yeah. After what I witnessed yesterday, I feel like I really need to learn some form of self-defense."
"This has some weight to it… Looks like good wood. Must've cost quite a bit."
"It wasn't from a shop. A friend gave it to me. She said it's a special make, unique to her family—you can't buy it anywhere."
"…Her, huh…"
At first, Toka's expression was teasing, but then her face stiffened as she quickly pieced things together.
That girl, Saeko Busujima—the one who'd gone with them to the police station last night. When they left, didn't one of the officers return a wooden sword to her?
"Hey, Senya… Mom said you went to a friend's place today. That friend wouldn't happen to be…"
"Yeah, it was Saeko Busujima. She's a year above me—our school's kendo club president. She's really skilled."
Senya said it casually, like it was nothing worth hiding.
"You only met her yesterday, right? And already she gave you a wooden sword?"
"Relax. I'm not the type to just mooch off people. I'll make sure to return the favor with a gift."
That's not the problem here!
Toka grumbled internally.
At that moment, Rikka and Eriri—who hadn't gone home yet—popped out of the side room when they heard the voices.
"Senya, you're back!"
"Eriri?" Senya looked a little surprised.
Hands clasped behind her back, Eriri smiled brightly. For some reason, just seeing her childhood friend again made her feel happy. "I came over to hang out with Rikka today. Sorry if I'll be intruding for the night."
Earlier, right before dinner, Junko Takanashi had noticed how happily the two girls were playing together and, being the hospitable type, invited Eriri to stay over.
Since they all went to the same school, it made sense—they could go together in the morning.
Eriri was thrilled. She called her mom, who reminded her to behave while staying at someone else's house. Eriri promised she would, and that was that.
"I see. That's nice. Here—why don't you two share these?"
Senya handed over a bag of roasted chestnuts and pinecones he'd bought. They were Rikka's favorite little snacks.
Sure enough, her eyes lit up as she snatched them eagerly. "Onii-chan, I love you!"
She only ever used that kind of doting nickname when she was really, really happy.
Toka frowned. "She has her own allowance, you know. You shouldn't spoil her like this."
"It's fine, it's just once in a while. Toka-nee, you should have some too. These chestnuts are fresh out of the pan—they smell amazing."
"I'll pass."
Unlike her younger sister, Toka had already entered high school and was starting to show the natural concerns of a young woman about her appearance.
Especially after Senya had, during one of their stretching sessions, offhandedly remarked, "Toka-nee, haven't your calves gotten a little thicker lately?" That had been enough to make her swear off late-night snacking entirely.
As usual, once Senya was home and done with greetings, the first thing he did was head straight to the bath.
Meanwhile, Rikka and Eriri noticed the wooden sword he'd brought back.
Rikka carefully unsheathed it. The surprising weight made her little mouth fall open in awe.
She was at just the right age for her chūnibyō tendencies, so naturally she started striking a few dramatic sword poses.
As for Eriri, she'd already heard from Toka about Saeko Busujima, and now Senya himself had just admitted he'd come from her house.
Suddenly, an inexplicable frustration welled up inside her.
She just… didn't feel happy anymore.
She knew complaining to Rikka wouldn't help—Rikka would never get it. Instinctively, her thoughts went to her close friend Yukino, all the way in England.
Quickly running the time difference through her head, she realized it should be daytime over there. Without hesitating further, she pulled out her phone.
By midday, Yukinoshita Yukino had finished her morning classes and was heading alone to the cafeteria.
Even after spending so many days in England, she still hadn't fully adapted to life in a foreign country.
The cultural differences showed in many ways—most obviously in the food.
The English rarely ate rice. They preferred various breads, meats, and potatoes. Potatoes, in fact, seemed to find their way into nearly every dish.
Compared to Japanese cuisine, the style here was much rougher.
Still, Yukino wasn't picky. For the sake of her health and growth, she made sure to get all the nutrients she needed, even if she didn't particularly like the meals.
Carrying her tray, she sat down alone in the corner. Watching everyone else chatting and laughing in pairs or groups inevitably made her think of the friends she'd left behind.
Of course, she missed them. But not so much that it became unbearable.
Outwardly, she always appeared calm and aloof. But deep down, she did have a playful side.
In some ways, being apart wasn't all bad. It gave her a chance to work harder here, to become someone even more outstanding. Then, when she returned home after a long time away, she could surprise everyone with how much she'd grown.
The cafeteria was noisy as always. As was her routine, Yukino took out her earbuds, ready to lose herself in music—when suddenly, she smiled.
A message popped up.
It was from Eriri.
[Yukino, do you have time right now? I have something really important to tell you!]
Just from those words, Yukino could already picture Eriri's little twin-tailed face, so animated and serious when she got worked up.
That was exactly her personality—always flustered by even small matters, always rushing to her with them.
Not that Yukino disliked it. In fact, being the one Eriri always relied on… she found herself enjoying that feeling.
Her lips curved into a faint smile as she typed back:
[What is it, Eriri?]
The reply came instantly:
[Senya spent last night at the police station!!]
"…?!"
Yukino's eyes widened. Before she could type a response, more messages came flooding in.
[And now he says he wants to learn kendo!][Today he even went to that senpai's house—the one he met last night! And she gave him a wooden sword!!]
"…???"
What was going on?
[Eriri, I don't understand. Explain it to me slowly, one thing at a time.]
[Ah—okay…]
Ten minutes later, Yukino finally pieced together the situation.
She also understood why Eriri sounded so panicked.
To put it simply: Senya had gotten caught up in some kind of incident. That led him to meet a senior named Saeko Busujima, and now the two of them seemed to be on good terms.
Considering Eriri had been glued to Senya since elementary school, practically inseparable, it wasn't hard to see why she was feeling down now that another girl had suddenly entered the picture.
Yukino let out a small sigh of relief. At least Senya hadn't been harmed.
As for him wanting to take up kendo, and making new friends—Yukino didn't see anything wrong with that.
She typed back:
[Eriri, kendo is both a sport and a discipline. It strengthens the body and cultivates the mind. Senya wanting to learn it is a good thing.As for that senpai, if Senya approves of her, then she must have a good character. You should try to befriend her too.]
She sent the message.
It was sound advice, but even as she hit "send," Yukino caught herself picturing that mysterious senpai's face and figure.
And deep in her chest, she felt it too—the same faint sting Eriri had described.
A quiet unease. A touch of melancholy.
And… yes, just a little bit of annoyance.
After all, that guy hadn't messaged her at all. Not once. Not since his simple "good night" three days ago.