For Kasumigaoka Shiyu, being the one who had received help, it was only natural that she offered to treat Minamoto Senya to dinner as thanks.
Senya, of course, wasn't interested in freeloading off a meal. But since she was now officially one of his newly "bound learning companions," and still very much untapped with plenty of potential, he figured it didn't hurt to be as kind as possible at this stage.
It was the same logic he applied to the other three companions.
He always kept his equation in mind: the stronger he grew, the more it came from deepened bonds and closer relationships.
Still, before he agreed, curiosity prompted him to ask, "Kasumigaoka-san, do you want to see the fireworks too?"
Shiyu's heart leapt. This was exactly what she had hoped he would ask.
To be so in sync—didn't this mean there was some invisible thread of fate tying them together?
"Yes. I had already planned to go watch the fireworks, but… since I don't really have friends nearby, going alone would've been too lonely. So in the end I decided against it. But when I heard you talking about it just now, Minamoto-kun, I thought—if it isn't too much trouble, could I maybe join you?
I really want to become friends with you and the people around you… But if it's a bother, if it makes you uncomfortable, then please don't feel obliged. You should all have fun—I'll just head home by myself."
Ughhh!
Sawamura Eriri clenched her teeth so tightly she thought they'd break.
No friends, no family? Couldn't she just go with her family to see the fireworks?
Why was it that the more this girl spoke, the more irritating she became?!
"I see…"
Senya looked into Shiyu's eyes, which shone with that calculated, faintly vulnerable expression, and inwardly smirked.
Foxes pretending to be spirits from an old folktale.
Girls who laid it on too thick weren't usually his type. But if she was only doing it as a way of drawing closer to him—well, then it felt completely different.
"Of course it's not a bother. The more the merrier. And as for friends… aren't we already friends?"
Shiyu's breath caught. "R-really?!"
Senya smiled warmly. "Really. In fact, I should be the one honored to be friends with such a talented light novel author. I never thought something like this would happen."
"Don't say that—I'm far from talented. You, on the other hand, Minamoto-kun… you're amazing. I watched your performance at nationals. You were… really cool."
Unlike Yukinoshita Yukino and Eriri back when they first crossed his path, Kasumigaoka Shiyu's behavior was closer to Dokujima Saeko's.
After receiving help from Senya, her gratitude had transformed into open fondness—clear and direct, not hidden away beneath layers of restraint.
That was simply her nature: to follow her heart and let it show.
Saeko, on the other hand, came from a traditional kendo household. From a young age, besides her rigorous training in martial arts, she had also studied ikebana, tea ceremony, calligraphy—all the refined arts meant to cultivate poise.
Her upbringing had shaped her into a textbook yamato nadeshiko-in-training—quiet, composed, gentle, and considerate.
Her innate grace had easily dissolved Eriri's early wariness, and over time, earned both her and Yukino's friendship.
Senya suspected that such restraint also suppressed her inner state to some degree.
That might explain why, in the face of those two criminals, she had shown that frighteningly bloodthirsty side. But to him, that wasn't a flaw—it had been strangely beautiful.
After all, Dokujima Saeko only turned her blade against society's trash. As long as she never harmed the innocent, there was nothing to worry about.
Kasumigaoka Shiyu, by contrast, came from a comfortably middle-class family in Tokyo. Not wealthy, but never troubled by money either.
Her mother, once the most beautiful girl of her junior high and high school days, had kept her charm even into middle age. So much so that when mother and daughter went shopping together, strangers often mistook them for sisters.
Her father was ordinary in appearance, but gifted with a sharp mind. An excellent student, graduate of a prestigious university, and now, in Japan's seniority-bound corporate world, he had risen to section chief in a well-known company purely on merit, managing more than forty subordinates.
But back in the day, compared to his wife's many suitors, he hadn't stood out at all. The reason he had won her heart was an old but reliable story:
A late-night walk, a gang of delinquents harassing her—he had stepped in and fought them off.
The classic "hero saves the beauty." Corny, yes, but effective.
Shiyu, doted on and raised freely by her parents, had always known this story.
Though she never said it aloud, she deeply admired that kind of romance her parents had lived.
Later, when she sent her outline and draft of Love Metronome to Fantastic Bunko, her future editor, Machida Sonoko, had asked veteran colleagues for their thoughts.
They had praised her prose and the sweetness of her story, but dismissed it as "too girlish, too sugary" for adult readers.
To which Machida had only smiled and replied, "What's wrong with a girlish heart? Some things are beautiful precisely because we've never experienced them ourselves—we long for them, and that longing makes them shine."
That was the moment she decided: Love Metronome would be signed.
So far, only two volumes had been published.
When shaping her heroine, Shiyu had drawn partly from herself: beautiful, bookish, often alone, with a dream of becoming an author.
Her male lead, on the other hand, she had originally imagined as a perfect ideal: smart, kind, athletic, universally talented.
But then she had thought—no, that's too unrealistic, even for fiction. Better to use the standard light novel male lead template.
And yet, after meeting Minamoto Senya… she realized she had been wrong.
Who said perfect people didn't exist?
She had met one.
Just like her mother back then—he was the protagonist of her life.
"All in the past now," Senya said lightly.
He truly didn't think winning the middle school national championship was anything remarkable.
The true pinnacle was the All-Japan Kendo Championship, organized by the national federation. That was the stage for those twenty and older. To win there meant being the strongest kendoka in Japan.
"I just finished practice, so I need to run home, change, and pick up my little sister. Kasumigaoka-san, should we meet directly at the festival grounds? Or do you want to come along with me?"
Did that even need to be asked?
Maintaining the last of her modesty, Shiyu confirmed she wouldn't be imposing—and then of course chose the latter.
"Then wait here a bit, while I change out of my kendo uniform."
"Okay."
She hadn't expected things to go so smoothly.
On tiptoe, she watched him disappear into the changing room.
This was thanks, in no small part, to that blonde girl—Eriri—who had led her here.
Even though Eriri's gaze had been full of inexplicable hostility, she was still Senya's friend. For the sake of her own image, Shiyu resolved to treat her kindly.
With that thought, she turned to Eriri—whose brain was currently melting down in self-recrimination for bringing Shiyu along in the first place—and smiled, extending her hand.
"Thank you, Eriri-san. Let's get along from now on."
"…!"
Who wants to get along with you?! You thick-skinned interloper barging into our carefully planned outing!
Eriri sucked in a deep breath.
But as the saying goes, one can't slap a smiling face.
So in the end, she reluctantly reached out and shook Shiyu's hand, lips pressed tight, silent—her last act of defiance.
Not long after—
On the other side of the city—
Yukinoshita Yukino had just finished cram school when her phone rang.
The moment she answered, Eriri's voice came through—full of frustration and urgency.
"Yukino! You have to listen to me—!"
———
It was a hot day.
Takanashi Toka fanned her flushed face with her hand, grumbling at how stingy her school was—refusing to turn on the air conditioning in the gym even during summer break.
When she stepped into her house, she noticed a few pairs of unfamiliar shoes neatly lined up in the entryway.
Her foster brother Senya's shoes and Rikka's she recognized. The other three pairs? Definitely not.
She first assumed they belonged to his three close friends. But when she entered the living room, she realized that wasn't the case.
Dokujima Saeko and Eriri were there, familiar faces—but so was a girl she'd never seen before.
"Oh, Toka-nee, you're back," Senya said, introducing them.
Shiyu smiled politely when she learned this was his older sister. The smile grew even brighter as she stood to bow slightly in greeting.
Tch.
Eriri, clutching a cold drink, watched the scene with narrowed eyes. Shiyu's exaggerated politeness toward Toka reeked of calculation.
Who just barges into someone else's home after only meeting them? Obviously, nobody normal.
Senya had only invited her out of courtesy—but she had shamelessly taken him at his word.
"Eriri, are you feeling unwell?" Saeko asked kindly, noticing her friend's strange expressions all the way here.
In truth, Eriri had dragged Saeko along. Saeko had intended, like Senya, to go home, change, and then meet at the festival grounds. After sweating all afternoon at practice, any girl would want to freshen up.
But Eriri had insisted—saying it would be too crowded later, and they might lose each other. And so here they were.
"No, no! I just drank my cold drink too fast—my stomach feels a little frozen, that's all. Haha…"
Eriri realized her dislike for Shiyu had been far too obvious. That wouldn't do. Her upbringing wouldn't allow such rudeness.
She reminded herself of Yukino's advice: stay calm, don't let first impressions cloud her judgment.
After all, Saeko had seemed intimidating at first too. But once they got to know her, she turned out to be wonderful.
Maybe it would be the same this time. More friends was always a good thing.
Yes. She'd hold back her irritation, give Shiyu some time, and see.
After all, Love Metronome really was a beautiful book. Surely someone who could write something that heartfelt couldn't be a bad person.
Meanwhile, Toka warmly welcomed Shiyu as Senya's new friend.
They chatted politely, both leaving good impressions.
When Toka noticed only a plate of cookies on the table, she excused herself to cut up some fruit. Senya followed her into the kitchen to help.
Their house wasn't large—just one bedroom for the sisters, and the kitchen close to the living room.
Lowering her voice so the guests wouldn't hear, Toka leaned close to her foster brother.
"You're really popular, huh. Another new friend."
And just as stunningly pretty as the rest.
"Why 'another'?" Senya asked, puzzled.
That caught her off guard. Why had she phrased it that way? She shook it off, changing the subject. "Still, it's amazing Kasumigaoka-san's already an author at her age."
"A light novel author," Senya corrected.
Fresh from the hot outdoors, sweat clinging lightly to her skin, Toka didn't smell unpleasant at all. In fact, the warmth seemed to heighten the soft fragrance she always carried—an intoxicating scent that filled Senya's senses.
"Light novel author, manga artist… even Eriri's already earning money online with her art. You too. Middle schoolers nowadays are unbelievable."
"You're incredible too, Toka-nee—national gymnastics champion."
"That's a niche sport. Competition's not that fierce. And I only won one event—it doesn't mean much. Hardly worth bringing up."
"Still, I respect you. I know how hard you train whenever you have time. Thanks to you, I even understand all the technical terms now."
"If it's too much trouble, just say so. I'll let Rikka help me instead."
"Come on. Rikka's tiny shoulders couldn't handle your legs."
"…Did you just call me fat again?"
"I didn't! Don't put words in my mouth. I just meant she's too energetic to stay still and help."
And so the two of them quietly bickered as they worked in harmony.
Back in the living room, it was Rikka—bright and curious as ever—who kept the conversation flowing.
And naturally, her attention was all on the new face, Kasumigaoka Shiyu.
"You really went to Fantastic Bunko?!"
Half a nerd herself, Rikka knew the name well. Fantastic Bunko was a giant in the light novel world, home to many famous works and anime adaptations.
Several of her favorite series came from there. So when she learned Shiyu was signed with them, she couldn't help but gush.
"Yes. When we signed the contract, it was at their office building," Shiyu replied with a gentle smile.
To Rikka, she was endlessly patient—like a kindergarten teacher answering a child's every question.
After all, this was Senya's sister. The sister of her life's protagonist.
"Signing a contract sounds so cool!" Rikka squealed, then turned to Eriri. "That means you and Eriri are both creators!"
Shiyu blinked in surprise. "Eh? What do you mean?"
"Cough!"
Eriri realized too late what was about to happen. She choked on her drink, unable to stop Rikka in time.
And Rikka, brimming with pride for her friend, went right ahead. "Because Eriri's a manga artist!"
"…Eh?" Shiyu's eyes widened.
So this underdeveloped, elementary-school-sized blonde actually has artistic talent?
"N-no! Not a manga artist!" Eriri finally caught her breath as Saeko patted her back. "I just like drawing. I'm not at that level—I'm nowhere close!"
"But you've got tons of works online, and everyone always comments, 'Thank you, Kashiwagi Eiri-sensei, bless you with a long life,' right?"
"That's just a joke! They're just playing around!"
"People don't pay money for something just because it's funny. They buy it because you're good."
"Th-that's only thanks to the original works I based them on…"
Back and forth they went, until Shiyu finally caught on. She leaned in and asked carefully, "Rikka-chan… does that mean Sawamura-san draws… doujinshi?"
"Yup!" Rikka nodded eagerly.
Across the table, Eriri clearly saw Shiyu's lips press together—fighting hard to hold something back.
"Pfft—"
But not entirely successfully. A faint laugh escaped.
"I-I see… that's… really impressive."
"!!!"
Watching her strained, insincere compliment, Eriri felt her whole body tremble with rage.
Her liver hurt. In this sweltering heat, her entire body shook.
She took it all back.
There was no way she and Kasumigaoka Shiyu could ever get along.
She absolutely hated this girl!!!