Chirp-chirp, chirp-chirp.
The sound of small birds filtered through a pleasant haze, drifting in from somewhere far away.
Drawn by the sound, my consciousness slowly rose to the surface, and my other senses gradually began to return to me one by one.
The cool draft from the air conditioner gently brushed against my skin, and a brilliant light seeped through the slits of my closed eyes. Then, my sense of smell caught a waft of something savory and inviting.
"Nn, nnn..."
I slowly sat up, pushed the blanket aside, and let out a long, deep stretch.
As my spine let out a series of satisfying pops, I looked around and tilted my head in confusion. Wait, why was I waking up on the floor beside the bed...?
"...Oh, right."
The memories of last night came rushing back, and I let out a soft sigh.
I grabbed my phone from where it was plugged into the charger to check the time. It was just after 7:00 AM—early morning by any definition.
When I pulled the curtains open, I squinted against the sudden glare of the morning sun. However, the light did its job, and I felt the last vestiges of sleepiness vanish instantly.
The usual morning lethargy was nowhere to be found; it was a remarkably refreshing way to wake up.
"...Well, then."
It seemed the girl who was supposed to be in the bed was already up.
Glancing at the neatly made bed, I stood up from my futon and followed the delicious aroma toward the dining area.
"Ah, good morning, Tatsumi-kun!"
"...Good morning, Haruka."
Haruka greeted me with a bright, sunny smile as I stepped into the room.
She was still wearing my shirt and short pants from last night, but now she had an apron tied over them. Seeing her standing there at the stove with a frying pan filled me with an indescribable sense of warmth.
I opened my mouth to say something, but before I could speak, a loud rumble from my stomach beat me to it.
Hearing the sound, Haruka let out a melodious laugh.
"Hehe, breakfast is already finished, so let's eat together!"
"Yeah, thanks. I'll go wash up first."
With that, I headed toward the washroom.
I felt like I was walking on air as I washed my face and brushed my teeth.
I wasn't particularly obsessive about hygiene, but ever since I’d heard somewhere that bacteria multiply like crazy in your mouth while you sleep, it had become a firm morning habit. Who had told me that...? Was it the school nurse back in elementary school?
Lost in these idle thoughts, I returned to the dining room to find Haruka already seated, having removed her apron.
As I sat down across from her, the scent of toasted bread and sausages made my mouth water.
"Thanks for making breakfast. It looks amazing."
"Don't mention it. I wanted to do it. You wanted iced coffee, right?"
"You've thought of everything..."
Spread across the table was a spread of golden-brown toast, scrambled eggs, sausages, and a fresh salad with dressing.
It was an incredibly lavish menu compared to my usual routine of cereal or yogurt. I felt a twinge of guilt for sleeping in while she was busy in the kitchen, but Haruka seemed to be enjoying herself, a happy smile playing on her lips.
"Itadakimasu."
We pressed our hands together, offering a short word of thanks for the food and for Haruka's hard work.
I eagerly picked up a spoon and tried the scrambled eggs. ...Delicious. The creamy texture and mild flavor made my expression soften instantly.
"This is great. As expected of Haruka."
"I didn't do anything special, really. Want me to show you how I make them?"
"Please. I think my mornings just got a lot better."
We shared a gentle smile as we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast together.
Once our plates were empty, we sat back to chat—me with my coffee and Haruka with her tea. As I continued to praise her cooking, Haruka’s cheeks flushed a soft pink, though she puffed out her chest with a look of pride.
"Leave the meals during our Stayover to me, okay? Since you're letting me stay here, I'm going to do my best!"
"I’d feel bad leaving everything to you, so I'll help out. It's time to show off the skills Instructor Haruka taught me."
"Hehe, then how about we set a schedule for duties? And every now and then, we can cook something together."
That was a great idea. ...I decided not to point out the fact that this "long-term Stayover" seemed to be a settled matter now. It was a bit late for that anyway.
As I opened the calendar app on my phone, Haruka laughed, looking thoroughly pleased.
"It really feels like we're living together. I like this."
"...Yeah."
If I wanted to be more precise, the word "cohabitation" came to mind... but we hadn't quite reached that stage yet. "Yet"? Well, I suppose that was a possibility for the future.
Shaking off those runaway thoughts, I gathered the dishes for the two of us and stood up.
"I can do my own, you know?"
"Dividing the chores is part of living together. You did the cooking, so the least I can do is the dishes."
"...Alright. Thank you."
"Sure."
Breakfast dishes didn't take long. I washed them quickly and dried them with a towel.
After putting everything back in the cupboard, I returned to the dining room to find Haruka spreading out a workbook on the table.
"Studying already?"
"Yeah. They say your brain is most focused in the morning."
"I've heard that. ...How's your progress, by the way?"
"I'm about eighty percent done with everything. All that's left is this workbook and an English composition."
Her efficiency was staggering. I really needed to take a page out of her book.
Sensing my admiration, Haruka gave me a mischievous grin.
"It's Summer Vacation, after all. I want to be able to enjoy it to the fullest without having homework hanging over my head."
I headed to my room to grab my own workbook and pens before returning to the table.
Working on our studies together in this house wasn't exactly a new experience... but we had never started this early before.
With the morning sun pouring through the window and the morning news humming on the TV, I felt a strange sense of domestic bliss as I began to write.
The number of questions wasn't high, but the difficulty level was definitely a step up from our usual work. Every few minutes, my pen would come to a halt.
"...Haruka. About this one here."
"Oh, that? See, you have to use this formula..."
Asking Haruka for help was another part of our usual routine. Even though I’d been working hard since we started dating, there was still a massive gap between my academic performance and hers. I still remembered the chill I felt when I saw her studying material for the second semester and beyond weeks ago...
"By the way, have you done the English Expression composition yet?"
"The one where we watch a Western movie and write a review? No, I haven't even picked one yet."
English in high school was split into two subjects: English Expression and Communication English. For Expression, we didn't have a workbook; instead, we had to write a long-form essay.
As I mentioned, the assignment was to choose a movie from a recommended list, watch it, and then summarize the plot and write our thoughts—all in English.
I was still undecided, but it seemed Haruka already had a specific movie in mind.
"What do you think about this one?"
"...I've actually heard of that one. It's a romance, right?"
"It is! I've seen it once before, and it's such a lovely movie... I thought that if I watched it with my boyfriend, I’d probably love it even more!"
Haruka looked so genuinely happy as she said that. Feeling a bit embarrassed, I turned my attention back to my notes.
...I suppose romantic comedies and novels that I used to view as just entertainment might feel a lot different to me now.
"I'll look for it on the streaming sites. Since you've seen it, I’ll be counting on you to explain the parts I don't get."
"You got it! Leave the commentary to me. I've seen it so many times, I practically know it by heart!"
She sounded very reliable. Since we were in the middle of a Stayover, we could decide on a time to watch it later.
We kept our heads down for another hour before deciding to call it a day for now. We had to go out and buy daily necessities, and it was better to leave before the afternoon heat became unbearable.
"Okay, I'm going to change and put on a little makeup, so I'll be using the washroom, okay?"
"Yeah. I'll change in my room, so just call out if you need me."
"Will do~."
I watched her head off with her clothes and makeup pouch before retreating to my own room.
I still felt a bit restless during times like this. Until I got used to her staying over, it was better to keep my mind occupied with other things. ...Though I wasn't entirely sure if "getting used to it" was actually possible.
I changed quickly and killed time on my phone for a bit before returning to the living room. Haruka was still getting ready.
I spent about five minutes staring blankly at the TV until Haruka emerged, wearing a light, breezy one-piece dress.
"That dress really suits you. You look cute."
"Ehehe, thanks! It's one of my favorites. It's cool, cute... and it's easy to take off, too."
"Wh-!?"
I nearly choked on my own breath at the sudden, suggestive comment, but Haruka just tilted her head in confusion.
"Well, it’s better to wear something easy to take off if I’m going to be trying on swimsuits, right?"
"Swi—Swimsuits...? Oh, right, the swimsuits..."
The memory finally clicked.
After losing our bet regarding "the right to choose Haruka's swimsuit," she had exercised her winner's right to demand that I "help her pick one out."
...The logic behind the bet felt a bit shaky in hindsight, but considering my grades had skyrocketed because of it and I was getting what I wanted anyway, I couldn't complain.
"Hehe, I can't wait. I wonder what kind of swimsuit Tatsumi-kun wants to see me in?"
"............"
Between one thing and another, I’d almost forgotten, but August was right around the corner.
Since we were going shopping anyway, it made sense to take care of it now... but still. I really wished I’d had a bit more time to prepare myself mentally.
Just the knowledge that she was changing behind a closed door was enough to make me lose my cool. If I was going to see her in a swimsuit—multiple swimsuits, no less—what was going to happen to me?
Regardless, as the loser of the bet, I had no power to change the winner's decree.
I steeled my resolve and tried to keep the conversation on track.
"...Fine. Let's get the swimsuit in the morning. The daily necessities will probably be heavy and bulky."
"That's a good point. What should we do for lunch?"
"The food court at the mall or a restaurant nearby... we can figure it out once we're there. My treat."
When I made the offer, Haruka puffed out her cheeks in a slight pout.
"I can pay for myself, you know? My parents gave me plenty of money for the trip."
"...Just between us, ever since Summer Vacation started, my parents have been giving me extra allowance under the guise of 'dating expenses.' So please, let me pay."
I felt like it was a bit of an overstep on my parents' part, but since my high school forbade part-time jobs, I wasn't in a position to turn down the financial help. To honor my parents' intentions, I wanted to make sure the money was well spent.
At my pleading look, Haruka finally gave a reluctant nod.
"Alright... if that's how it is, I'll let you handle it today. But I'm paying for the swimsuit and all my own shopping!"
"Wait, I was planning on going halves. Regardless of the swimsuit, we’re buying things we’ll both use, so let me contribute."
"Mmm..."
We went back and forth for a while longer, but with no clear winner in the argument, we decided to drop it until we actually reached the store.
It was getting late, so it was time to move.
While Haruka scurried around packing her things—likely trying to maximize our swimsuit-shopping time—I shoved my wallet and an eco-bag into my shoulder bag.
"Okay, all set. Shall we?"
"Yes! I'm so excited for our Shopping Date!"
"Yeah, me too."
Haruka put on her hat and flashed me a radiant smile. I couldn't help but smile back.
And so, hand in hand, we stepped out into the midsummer sun for our date.