◆
5:00 PM. The study session came to a close, and we decided to call it a day.
Two black sedans were idling in front of the house—rides for Tennoji-san and Narika.
"I suppose the next time we meet will be at the Academy."
"I suppose so."
There was only one week left until the second semester began at Kikou Academy. Putting myself aside, both Tennoji-san and Narika were busy people; we likely wouldn't cross paths again until the opening ceremony. As for Yuri, I would see her whenever she came to work her part-time job at the Konohana family estate.
"Hirano-san, over here."
"Okay! Thanks, Tennoji-san."
Yuri had walked here, but it seemed Tennoji-san was going to give her a lift part of the way.
Once inside the car, Yuri began silently kneading the leather of the backrest, perhaps because the seat was plusher than she had ever imagined.
"Hm? Is Konohana-san not going home yet?" Narika asked Hinako, noticing that one car was missing.
"No, it seems my ride is running a bit late."
"I-In that case, you could ride in my car..."
"Thank you, Narika. However, it should be here in just a few minutes, so please don't let it concern you."
"I-I see. Well then, um, I’ll be going..."
While Hinako couldn't accept the kindness, Narika had clearly mustered her courage to make the offer. Considering how much of a social wallflower she used to be, her growth was palpable. I felt a stray tear of pride prick my eye.
And frankly, the sight of multiple luxury black cars parked in front of such a humble house was attracting attention. It was better for everyone to disperse before local rumors started flying.
"Wait!? Th-That's right, Konohana-san!"
Yuri, already settled in Tennoji-san's car, suddenly cried out in a panicked voice. She fished a paper gift bag out of her belongings and thrust it toward Hinako.
"I completely forgot....I'm lending you these. Make sure you read them, okay?"
"These are...?"
"You consulted me about something before, right? I think you'll find the answer you're looking for in there."
"...Thank you very much."
Hinako bowed deeply.
I wondered if it was some kind of important heirloom or gift.
"Yuri, what did you give her?"
"It's a secret!"
I asked out of curiosity, but Yuri shut me down instantly.
Yuri probably didn't realize it, but the Konohana family guards had eyes all over this neighborhood. From the windows of neighboring houses, the shadows of dim alleys, and even the "pedestrians" walking down the street, countless gazes were fixed intently on that paper bag.
Eventually, the cars pulled away and disappeared.
Once they turned the corner and vanished from sight, I let out a long sigh of relief.
"...They're gone."
"They certainly are."
"Whoa!?"
A voice suddenly came from directly behind me, making me nearly jump out of my skin.
"M-Ms. Shizune, when did you..."
"It’s a secret."
First Yuri, now Ms. Shizune... everyone was keeping secrets from me today.
I really had no idea where she had emerged from, but at this rate, she had likely been monitoring the surroundings from a vantage point unknown to us. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a secret tunnel under the street or something.
"Phew..."
Hinako let her shoulders slump in relief.
Of course, there was no pickup car coming. Hinako was heading back into the apartment with me.
"Young Lady, just to be safe, allow me to confirm the contents of the bag you received."
"Mm... go ahead."
Hinako handed the bag over to Ms. Shizune.
Peeking inside, Ms. Shizune's eyes widened ever so slightly, but she immediately nodded.
"There are no issues." She handed the bag back to Hinako.
"Ms. Shizune, what was it?"
"Since Hirano-sama said it was a secret, I cannot answer. Protecting the privacy of our guests is also part of a maid's duty."
She was a righteous and fair maid who clearly drew a line between business and personal curiosity. If she put it that way, I had no choice but to back down.
"...By the way, you're not in your usual maid uniform."
"At times, standing out can be perceived as a lack of consideration."
In short, she wanted to avoid drawing negative attention to the house.
I recalled Ms. Shizune wearing her maid uniform when we left earlier, but she had changed into casual clothes. A white shirt and a black, floor-length pleated skirt... To me, someone who saw her every day, the monotone color scheme still felt reminiscent of her uniform. It gave off a beautiful, composed impression.
At that moment, I remembered something from the Summer Seminar.
When Hinako, Yuri, and the others had all revealed their swimsuits, Yuri had told me, "Don't you have something you should say?" Those words echoed in my mind.
"Um, it really suits you. You look great."
"The sense of obligation is blatant. Point deduction."
What kind of points were being deducted exactly!?
As I turned pale, Ms. Shizune gave a small, playful chuckle. It didn't seem like she was actually offended.
We went back inside. The table had been neatly cleared, and the empty potato chip bags were in the trash. Partway through the session, Hinako had started secretly grabbing two chips at a time, causing them to disappear at an alarming rate, but Yuri had saved the situation by casually remarking, "Potato chip bags really are mostly air, aren't they?"
For now, I was glad the study session had ended without any major incidents. Everyone seemed to have been able to focus, and I think we managed to make some good memories to cap off the summer.
"Itsuki-san."
As I was moving the table back to its original position, Ms. Shizune called out to me.
"Do you have some time?"
"I'm all set. I've finished my chores for the day."
"Then, would you mind accompanying me to buy groceries for dinner?"
I was a bit slow to respond. It was rare for Ms. Shizune to ask me for a favor. Consequently, I felt a surge of motivation.
"Understood. If I'll do, I'm happy to help."
Ms. Shizune then looked toward Hinako.
"What will you do, Young Lady?"
"Can't move... Gonna sleep..."
Hinako was rolling around on the floor like a listless cat. She seemed exhausted from the long hours of concentration.
"Then, shall the two of us go?...Young Lady, please look after the house. The guards are on standby in the vicinity, so if anything happens, feel free to call upon them."
"Mm-kay."
◇
After Itsuki and Ms. Shizune left the house.
Hinako intended to use a cushion as a pillow and drift off, but as she lay down, the paper bag Yuri had given her caught the corner of her eye.
(Before I sleep... just a quick look.)
She was at her limit, but she wanted to at least confirm what Yuri had considered "the answer."
She pulled the items out of the bag.
They were—
"...Books?"
A stack of books. Looking at the covers and the promotional wraps, Hinako tilted her head in confusion.
"Shoujo... manga...?"
The wrap on one book featured a bold blurb: "The #1 best-selling shoujo manga right now!" Apparently, these were what people called "shoujo manga."
"Dumplings over Flowers... Reaching Thee... NYANYA..."
She read the titles aloud. There were several others. None of them sounded familiar, but she curiously flipped open a page.
"This is..."
Hinako was immediately sucked in.
The settings were mostly schools. They ranged from ordinary schools like the one Itsuki used to attend to elite institutions for the wealthy, much like Kikou Academy.
The protagonists were almost always ordinary high school girls. And the stories all began roughly the same way: the girl would meet a boy through some quirk of fate, they would become close, and the distance between them would slowly shrink.
Before she knew it, the protagonist would become intensely conscious of the boy—
"Th-this is...!"
Hinako gasped.
(It’s... exactly like me...!)
The feelings described by the protagonist were identical to the ones she had been grappling with.
Just being near him made her heart race. The pounding in her chest that intensified day by day was enough to confuse even herself. At times it felt suffocating, yet despite that, it was a mysterious sensation that made her never want to pull away.
The protagonist of the manga was being toyed with by this exact same emotion.
(If I keep reading, I might find out what this feeling actually is...!)
That must have been why Yuri lent her these. Hinako was now wide awake, leaning into the manga with fervent intensity.
—I wonder why. There are times when my head is just full of him.
The protagonist would find herself thinking about the boy at the most unexpected times. During class, while eating, and even when she crawled into bed at night, he would just occupy her thoughts.
(I get it...)
It was the same for Hinako. When they were heading to the Academy in the car, when she was in class, when they were in the bath together, and when she was lounging around in Itsuki's room... at every quiet moment, she found herself thinking about Itsuki.
How hard he’s been working lately.
How much better his etiquette had become.
How tough his studies seemed to be.
How much he cherished her.
Hinako had been thinking about these things constantly.
She flipped the page.
—I wonder why. Just seeing him talk to other girls makes me feel so restless and heavy.
The protagonist felt a tightening in her chest just seeing the boy talk to other girls. She would wear a sharp expression, but then quietly clutch her chest so he wouldn't notice her distress.
(I... I really get that...)
It was the same for Hinako.
When Itsuki spoke with other girls at the Academy, she couldn't settle down. A sudden anxiety would cross her mind—the fear that he might just go off somewhere else.
But in the end, it was almost always a needless worry. When she gazed at him in her anxiety, Itsuki would turn around as if he had sensed her stare. Then, he would give her a gentle smile to reassure her.
Every time that happened, she realized that Itsuki was indeed looking at her.
In her heart, an uncontrollable warmth and a sense of restless frustration coexisted. What on earth was this?
She flipped the page.
—Ah, so this is love.
The protagonist finally realized the truth of her emotions.
"—!?"
In her shock, Hinako jerked her face away from the page.
The revelation was so staggering that Hinako reflexively looked around the room for help. But her dependable maid and her caretaker were both gone. She steeled her resolve and dove back into the book.
(Love?...Love!? What is love...? What am I supposed to do...!?)
The protagonist of the manga turned beet-red the moment she realized she was in love. Hinako's face mirrored the color as she read on.
(Wh-Why are they suddenly so clingy...? B-But, they look so happy...)
The protagonist began proactively making advances toward the boy. They held hands while walking through town—interlacing their fingers, no less. As if she had no shame at all, she would tell him she wanted to be alone with him.
But the boy felt the same way. Within this push-and-pull of excitement and anxiety, the two gradually closed the gap—
(E-Eh... eh, eh, eh...!? Wh-Why are they putting their mouths together...?)
A moment later, she realized this was the act known as a kiss.
Hinako Konohana, sixteen years old. Although she had been drilled in various complex disciplines from a young age by her father’s command, she had learned absolutely nothing about romance.
As the Young Lady of the Konohana Group and a student at Kikou Academy, she had picked up a baseline of knowledge from those around her, but her total lack of experience meant that theory and reality had never connected.
This was a first for Hinako. For the first time in her life, she was facing the concept of romance not as an observer, but as a participant.
—I want you.
—I want you, too.
Before long, the two characters were in a relationship far more intimate than anything she had imagined. They shared a kiss on the balcony.
Reading that scene... Hinako instinctively replaced the characters with herself and Itsuki.
—Hinako.
Itsuki stood before her, staring into her eyes with an earnest gaze.
—I want you.
Saying that, he brought his lips closer and closer—
"......!!"
Hinako shook her head violently, her hair flying.
(Wh-What am I thinking...!?)
She desperately tried to scrub the delusion from her mind. But no matter how hard she tried, the fact that she had even imagined it remained burned into her memory.
The protagonist of the manga was doing the exact same thing.
(Is this what it means to "like" someone...?)
She had felt this way for a long time. It was pointed out to her during the Summer Seminar, but the feeling itself had been there long before that.
It had been about a month after Itsuki became her caretaker. Even after he was forced to quit the position, he had come back to the mansion for her.
And Itsuki had caught her in his arms when she jumped from that window.
Thinking back, that was the moment. From that very second—she had been carrying this feeling in her heart.
(Do I... want to do those kinds of things with Itsuki...!?)
Had she been wanting to do those things with him ever since that day? Had she been wishing for this all this time?
"Hawa..."
It felt incredibly embarrassing to admit... and it seemed like Yuri, at the very least, had seen right through her.
"Hawawawawawawawa...!"