After dinner, Kawasaki Saki quietly washed the dishes.
When she stepped out of the kitchen, she carried some snacks and drinks from the fridge and sat down beside Takumi Yuuya.
"Have you decided yet?" Yuuya asked.
"…N-not yet," Kawasaki Saki answered, her head lowered.
"So, are you staying over tonight, or heading home?"
"Do… do you want me to stay?"
"It's not just that I want you to stay," Yuuya said with a teasing smile, "I'd like to go rest in your room, too."
"I—I'll go make a call first."
Saki stepped aside, pulled out her phone, and dialed home. She explained she'd be staying overnight at a friend's place. Her family sounded puzzled—why was she suddenly staying at a friend's house again?
Saki quickly explained that her friend's grades weren't great and she was tutoring for some extra money. That settled it; her family understood.
After the call, and a quick stop at the restroom, Saki returned to Yuuya's side.
Yuuya paused the anime on the screen and turned to look at her. He leaned in slowly.
Saki closed her eyes.
Their lips touched in a long, quiet kiss.
When Yuuya finally pulled back, he looked at her intently.
"After graduation, this house will be yours."
"I…"
"I need to give you something in return. Otherwise, I'd feel guilty."
"You're giving me too much."
"Because, Saki, you're my first girlfriend. I want you to stay by my side, always."
"I won't ever leave—unless you push me away," she said with rare seriousness.
The truth was, she already had her answer. Yuuya understood it now, and so he decided to offer her this compensation.
When he woke the next morning, Kawasaki Saki was asleep in his arms.
Last night, he had gone into her bedroom, though he hadn't gone too far. After all, there was still affection to build—he couldn't push their relationship to the next level just yet.
He slipped out of the room, changed, and went for a morning run.
One lap around the neighborhood later, he returned home to find Saki already busy in the kitchen.
Yuuya showered, changed into his school uniform, and sat down at the table.
Saki brought breakfast over just as his phone buzzed.
He glanced at the screen.
Two billion yen had just been deposited.
Balance remaining: 22.578 billion yen.
Setting the phone aside, he looked at her.
"Yesterday, I sold one of my apartments to the Yukinoshita family. The money's cleared. This afternoon, let's go to the shopping mall, and tonight we'll celebrate with dinner out."
"…Okay."
Saki didn't refuse.
In front of the school building, Yukinoshita Yukino spotted Yuuya. After a moment of hesitation, she approached.
"Good morning."
"You're actually greeting me first?" Yuuya teased.
"You're standing here. Isn't it because you were waiting for me?"
"That's… you've got the wrong idea," he said awkwardly.
Yukino cast a glance past him, her eyes landing on Sawamura Eriri.
"Good morning, Eriri."
Yuuya's voice followed quickly: "Morning, Eriri."
Eriri blinked in surprise when she saw the two of them together. She'd heard rumors, but seeing them side by side like this was still shocking.
She walked up. "Good morning, Yuuya-kun. Good morning, Yukinoshita-san."
"You two know each other?" Yuuya asked curiously.
The way Eriri addressed her as "Yukinoshita-san" instead of "Yukino" said plenty.
"The Yukinoshita family is a long-established name in Chiba. My Sawamura family can't compare," Eriri explained.
"And Sawamura-san's father holds a very unique position. In that sense, my status is far beneath hers," Yukino replied coolly.
"Ah, I see," Yuuya said, summing it up. "So you're both elite ojousamas."
"Yuuya-kun and Yukinoshita-san…" Eriri began cautiously.
"I joined Yukinoshita's club," Yuuya explained.
"That explains it. No wonder the rumors say—"
"Rumors can't be trusted. The president can't stand me."
As he said this, Yuuya looked over at Yukino.
"You two chat. I'm heading inside," Yukino said, leaving for the building.
Eriri watched her go, then turned back to Yuuya.
"…It looks like you two are closer than I thought."
"That's just your imagination. Want to eat lunch together on the rooftop?"
"…Sure."
"I'll wait for you up there."
Inside the classroom, Yuuya greeted Miura Yumiko first, as usual.
To his surprise, Hayama Hayato rose from his seat. "Good morning, Yuuya-kun."
Everyone else froze, dumbfounded. Yuuya was close to Yumiko, yet Hayama still greeted him?
"Morning, Hayama," Yuuya answered cheerfully, sitting down and pulling out his phone.
As I thought, whenever Hayama sees Yukinoshita Haruno, his eyes never leave her.
With that kind of obsession, there's no way he's worried about you.
Time to change strategies.
Yumiko's phone buzzed with Yuuya's message. She typed back quickly: Change what strategy?
Take the afternoon off. Come to my place.
How is that a strategy?
This weekend, I'll bring Hayama along to my game company. I'll use the chance to thank him properly.
Reading that, Yumiko finally understood his intent. But then… what came after?
Before she could finish the thought, a new message from Yuuya appeared on her screen.
She read it—and froze in shock.
At lunch break, Yuuya noticed Kawasaki Saki still hadn't left.
He mentioned his plan to eat with Eriri on the rooftop.
Saki's response was simple: "Then I'll eat in the classroom. I won't bother you."
Yuuya stood and left.
She watched him go, then glanced down at her phone when it lit up.
Her lips curled into a smile.
Eriri and I are just friends. I won't let her taste my lunch. Don't worry about it.
Saki had indeed been wondering—if he'd go somewhere private with Eriri, if he'd feed her bites of his lunch.
But Yuuya had read her mind and sent this reassurance first.
Seeing that message filled her with warmth.
Whether it was true or not didn't matter.
What mattered was that he cared enough about her feelings to explain.
And she chose to believe him.
In the corridor, a notification flickered before Yuuya's eyes.
"Affection from Kawasaki Saki +30"
He could have ignored her doubts, let jealousy brew, let her feel hurt and suspicious, and lowered her affection instead.
But…
Saki had already accepted the existence of other girls in his life. She wasn't asking for much.
Hurting her under those circumstances—what kind of man would that make him?
A simple reassurance earned him this much affection. Her trust in him was obvious.
And the only thing he could give back… was a promise.
"You'll be my number one," Yuuya murmured to himself.