Bright sunlight stread through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Ornate wallpaper adorned the walls, and green drapes frad a massive double bed.
Eriri sat on the bed, her small feet wrapped in black tights just barely touching the carpet.
It wasn't like she was deliberately trying to strike a seductive pose—her legs were simply too short to reach the floor.
"You rushed over so early. Is sothing serious going on? Should I call my dad?"
Seeing the serious expression on the boy sitting across from her, Eriri couldn't help but feel a bit anxious.
Since they t, she had never seen Kyousuke looking so grave.
"It is sothing important. But as long as you're here, Eriri, that's enough." Kyousuke sat upright in the chair at his work desk.
'As long as I'm here? That's enough?'
Eriri, who had been about to flop back down for another nap, instantly snapped to attention.
'What is wrong with this guy today?'
Had seeing her just-out-of-bed look scrambled his brain or sothing?
"W-What's that supposed to an?! If you're thinking that kind of thing, it's absolutely not allowed! It's still way too early!"
Her pale cheeks flushed red as she cried out, her voice a mix of embarrassnt and indignation.
"You do look really beautiful today, Eriri. But that's not what I ant."
"What do you an 'today'? I'm beautiful every day, thank you very much!"
"Yes, yes, of course. Our great assistant is an eternal beauty."
"You're talking about my pen na, aren't you? I still haven't finalized it, so there's no need to rush. Let's take our ti."
Eriri nodded with satisfaction.
Even though his words sounded like sothing you'd say to a spoiled kid, she liked it. Her legs swung happily, lightly bumping against the mattress.
"No, I didn't an that either. It's about... high school."
For once, the usually thick-skinned Kyousuke looked like he was struggling to get the words out.
That only confused Eriri more.
If it were about work, maybe she could understand—but high school? Wasn't that supposed to be his playground of youth?
"High school? What about it? Did the principal try to rope you into another opening ceremony speech?"
"I... I can't go to Toyogasaki Academy with you."
"...Huh?"
Eriri's gently swinging feet froze.
Her eyes, hidden behind her glasses, widened in disbelief. Then, with a sharp slap of her hand on the blanket, she jumped to her feet.
"What?"
'I must still be dreaming.'
It already didn't make sense that soone as sleep-loving as Kyousuke would show up at her house this early.
She stepped forward and grabbed Kyousuke's cheeks, tugging them hard to either side.
"Doesn't hurt? Yep. Definitely a dream." She shook her head to snap herself out of it.
"Well... it does sting a little," he mumbled.
"Idiot! Who told you to say sothing so ridiculous!?"
"No, really, I an it. I'm sorry, Eriri."
Just as she turned away, she spun back again, eyes wide as she stared at him.
'What do you an it's true?'
'You're not going to Toyogasaki?'
'That's impossible—we already agreed! I was the one who told you the interview results!'
'Why... why now?!'
'Inhale... exhale... inhale...'
'Nope. Not helping. I'm still furious!'
Crossing her arms in front of her chest—sothing she'd seen in manga featuring elegant heiresses—Eriri tried to assert pressure.
A commanding chest, they said, could overwhelm any argunt and prevent eye contact.
"What the hell is going on?"
'Is my high school romance ending before it even starts? This can't be happening!'
"I made a promise a long ti ago to go to Soubu High instead."
"But you promised , too!"
Eriri's voice trembled, but she managed to shout.
What she really wanted to do was throw a tantrum, stomp her feet, and scream, "I don't care, I don't care—you're coming to Toyogasaki with !"
But the Kyousuke she liked was honest, kind, mature.
Soone who always tried to fix his mistakes right away, who valued promises, who never lied...
If he broke a promise just because she pouted and whined, he wouldn't be him anymore.
She'd still like him—but she didn't want that to happen.
"...I forgot all about it. Soone reminded just yesterday," Kyousuke said, sitting properly and eting her eyes despite her glare.
"But what about ? What am I supposed to do?" Eriri's voice ca out raw and vulnerable.
"I'm sorry. I really am."
"Don't just say 'sorry'! Do you have any idea how..." Her small fists clenched, her eyes locked on him angrily.
And after a 0.5-second pause, she finally yelled:
"Do you have any idea how much I was looking forward to going to school with you?! Since middle school, we've been dreaming about this!"
"Once we made it into high school, I started counting the days—tearing a page off the calendar every morning, thinking, Just a little longer."
"Just a few more days until we're together every day. That happiness... it's impossible to describe!
"And now you're telling I won't get to see you at Toyogasaki at all?!"
Kyousuke looked up.
Eriri, usually so tsundere, was completely different now.
Her clear eyes shimred with tears, though she stubbornly tilted her head back, refusing to let them fall.
She's crying.
"...I..."
The realization hit him hard.
That shimring in the corners of her eyes—he had never seen her truly cry before.
Sure, she'd teared up from falling or getting hurt during PE, but real crying? Never.
He couldn't say a single word about compensation.
The pure sincerity and hope in her feelings—there was no way he could make up for that with a simple apology.
"...I'm so sorry."
Guilt consud him.
Eriri sniffled softly and then, with a sudden spark of her usual fire, turned her head away dramatically.
"Don't get cocky, you jerk. Even without you, my high school life—Sawamura Spencer Eriri's—will be nothing short of magical."
"Every day, love letters will flood out of my shoe locker like a waterfall. The line of boys confessing to will stretch from the classroom all the way to the rooftop!"
Her voice grew sharper as she turned to glare at him again:
"Kyousuke, you loser who can't even cross a crosswalk in under ten steps—don't think you're anything special!"
Yeah... Eriri was stunning, and with her artistic talent and looks, it wasn't hard to imagine her being super popular at school.
Kyousuke could even picture all those poor guys facing the "love letter waterfall" every morning.
He found himself drifting into that silly thought because, deep down, he knew the hardest part was over.
Eriri—so fierce in her words, yet so tender inside.
A completely different kind of charm from Shouko, but just as heart-wrenching in its own way.
"I really am sorry. But when it cos to university, I promise—whatever school you choose, I'll go there too. That's my first and most important promise from now on."
"Who the hell wants to go to university with you, dummy? I already get sick of drawing manga with you every day."
'And anyway, going to college together is just obvious—it doesn't even count as compensation, you idiot!'
"If I go to a won's university, would you break your promise again?"
"I'll apply to be a teacher there!" Kyousuke replied instantly.
"I'm moving into that house," Eriri said stiffly, her face still scrunched in a scowl.
"That house?" Kyousuke looked confused for a second.
"The one where I gave you the car, idiot!"
'Ugh, what a moron! What else could I an? Did he really expect to say I want to move into your house? As if a proper lady could say sothing that embarrassing!'
But if they weren't going to the sa school, at least living nearby ant they could still see each other every day.
She'd make sure he dropped her off at school every morning, picked her up in the afternoon, then they'd head to a diner together, go ho, draw manga, have a late-night snack, and maybe take a walk.
Perfect. Eriri's high school romantic cody was back on track!
"Don't get the wrong idea! It's not like I want to live with you or anything. I'm not that desperate."
"But if we're not at the sa school, we'll have trouble coordinating the manga and ani studio stuff. Living together would be more convenient, that's all."
"Manga assistants and authors living together is pretty normal, so don't start fantasizing, you perv."
"Yeah, I get it. Living together would definitely make things easier..." Kyousuke could tell he should just say yes.
This was Eriri's way of giving both of them a way forward. But—
...But if she found out that Shouko and Naoka were already living there, she might explode on the spot.
And dropping that right after the school news? That would be way too cruel.
He glanced at her.
Eriri still stood there, arms folded tight across her chest, staring at him unblinking, clearly waiting for an answer.
Her delicate little face was tense, but in her eyes he could see it—hope.
She never could hide her feelings.
"Of course it's fine. I'd love to have you move in," Kyousuke said carefully.
Eriri's tense face lit up with a smile—but then she quickly rembered she was supposed to be mad, and forced the scowl back on.
"But there's sothing I should tell you first. There are already a few other tenants living in the house."
"Huh? What do you an, tenants?"
"I an, they pay rent and live in so of the empty rooms. It's a kind of—"
"I know what tenants are. Wait, they? What do you an they!?"
It was impressive how fast Eriri picked up on the key word despite usually being so slow on the uptake.
"Ah... I an, the two girls you saw at the signing event—Nishimiya Shouko and Ueno Naoka. And also—"
"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
Her furious scream cut him off.
Kyousuke cautiously looked up and saw Eriri clutching her head in disbelief.
"That was my house! I picked it! I haven't even moved in yet!"
Betrayal. Pure, undiluted betrayal. She didn't even have ti to feel jealous.
All those tears she held back before finally surged out, overflowing and streaming down her cheeks in one unbroken line.
This idiot.
She'd already forgiven him for not going to the sa high school.
She'd already co up with a compromise that let them still be together. And now this? This was how he repaid her?!
Eriri was on the verge of a breakdown.
She knew she never should've gotten out of bed so early—nothing good ever ca from it.
"You heartless jerk! You cold-blooded animal! You rock-brained moron! You ungrateful, two-faced mystery novelist! You absolute perv with a brain full of nasty white goo!"
She unleashed a rapid-fire tirade of barely coherent insults like a Tommy gun, grabbing pillows from the bed and launching them at him.
When she ran out of lightweight ammo, she yanked at the comforter, but the thick down filling made it a terrible projectile.
Kyousuke just sat there, head lowered, unmoving even as the pillows hit him.
That only made her angrier.
She stord over and started punching him—his shoulder, chest, arms—wherever she could reach.
"I'm sorry, Eriri."
Kyousuke had always believed in owning up to his mistakes.
His pen na might be EGOIST, but he could never act that way in real life.
He cared too much about the people around him.
Watching Eriri's fury and heartbreak made his chest ache—but he also knew she needed this. It had to happen.
"Get out! I never want to see you again!"
She grabbed his arm and tried to drag him toward the door, but he didn't budge.
He was solid as a rock.
Tears stread from her eyes.
She let out sobs and grunts as she kicked the floor in frustration.
The wool carpet was soft, but not exactly slip-proof.
Her cotton tights were smooth, and in her flailing she lost her balance and tumbled backward.
Naturally, Kyousuke caught her around the waist.
"Don't touch !"
For a split second, Eriri felt like she was back to the day they first t, cradled in those familiar arms.
But the thought only made her more furious—that Kyousuke was nothing like this perverted, infuriating jerk!
Without hesitation, she grabbed his arm and bit down hard.
Her sharp canines tore right through his shirt and dug into the skin.
She t a bit of resistance, and when she didn't break through, her frustration swelled even more.
Still biting, she kept punching him with her fists.
Even with her mouth full, she didn't stop hurling curses—muffled, growly sounds of rage.
Kyousuke was used to pain.
Yet, despite her rage, Eriri didn't go all the way.
Her teeth pressed down, but she held back just enough to avoid really hurting him.
You idiot.
Even when you're this angry... you still can't bring yourself to hurt .
"Get out! And don't ever co back!" Eriri finally let go of his arm and stood up, switching tactics to pushing him from behind.
Kyousuke had no choice but to stand up and walk toward the door, careful not to let her trip again.
"Eriri... I really am sorry. But you know I an it—I truly love you."
'How dare you say sothing like that now, you bastard!'
"Oh, and I guess you also love those other girls too, huh!?" She switched to kicking him now, trying to shove him out the door with her feet.
...So this is what won are like, huh? They might act clueless most of the ti, but when it matters, they're terrifyingly sharp.
Kyousuke realized he'd made a serious misstep.
He let her push him to the doorway.
Experience told him: Don't bother trying to explain now. Unless you've got a magic head-pat or a dramatic princess carry ready, today is not the day for apologies or forgiveness.
Step by step, he walked out the door.
Then, just before leaving, he turned back.
"Eriri—"
BAM!
"BAKA!!!"
A furious shout and the slam of the door cut him off in one violent combo.
That impact? Way too powerful for a simple door.
"I'll co back to see you tomorrow, Eriri," Kyousuke said quietly.
"I'm never opening the door for you again! I don't ever want to see your stupid face!" ca her voice, a mix of fury and tears.
Sighing, Kyousuke pulled out his phone and called Mrs. Sayuri.
He told her he'd upset Eriri and asked her to co ho to look after her.
"Ugh..."
Letting out another long sigh, Kyousuke shoved the can of cola back into the fridge.
"You don't deserve this, heartless jerk," he muttered to himself. "No cola for a week. Not until Eriri forgives you."
He had originally planned to sip on the soda while waiting for Sayuri to return—he didn't feel comfortable leaving Eriri alone in that emotional state.
But now, he made his way to the kitchen instead.
With practiced ease, he pulled out vegetables from the pantry, then moved on to potato tempura, fried fish, shrimp...
Sure, his "head pats" didn't work like magic and his cooking wouldn't make anyone's clothes burst off in delight—but good food had a way of softening even the hardest moods.
Crispy fries could crunch away the frustration, and fizzy soda could interrupt angry rants with unexpected burps.
And if nothing else, making her favorite dishes might help him carve out a little redemption for tomorrow.
Yes. This was the plan.
anwhile, upstairs, Eriri was fuming even harder.
That jerk... He actually left?! I told him to go and he really just went?!?
Ughhh, damn him! Good thing he's transferring schools—go far, far away, and don't you ever show your face around here again!
Tears stread down her cheeks as she collapsed onto the soft carpet, overwheld by rage and heartbreak.
She crawled under her desk, dragging out a heavy black box.
With a thud, she slamd it onto the floor.
It was elegant, black with brown trim and golden clasps that popped open from the impact.
Inside, sketch after sketch spilled out—so in black and white, others vivid with color.
There he was: Kyousuke, his face lit by the glow of a monitor, focused as he typed.
Kyousuke with a resigned smile, eyes full of helpless affection.
Kyousuke, napping peacefully on the sofa.
Every ti she acted spoiled, he'd climb the tallest tree just to find so weird leaf she claid was special—even when she didn't know where it really was.
Even when she lost at cards and the punishnt was drawing sothing embarrassing, all it took was a pout and a flash of her sharp little canines, and he'd obediently offer up his hand to be drawn on.
And those... those disaster British als she made.
Her dad wouldn't even go near them, but Kyousuke would force himself to eat them, then give her a thumbs-up with a mouth blackened by burnt crumbs.
Even when she'd pinch his nose to wake him from a nap—despite his legendary morning grumpiness—he never got angry. He'd just smile and gently pat her head.
———————————————————————
The room was empty now, but every corner held mories.
Sitting on the floor, Eriri felt the weight of those monts press down on her like the air itself was too thick to breathe.
When you're alone, the past stretches out endlessly. And it hurts.
"Why... why can't you just love only ? Why can't I be the only one?"
Her head bowed low, fingers clutching at the carpet.
Tears splashed onto the sketch pages, the ink bleeding and blurring beneath them.
Slowly, carefully, she began to gather each drawing, putting them back into the box one by one in the right order.
She curled up on the old chair that had supported her through countless sleepless nights, knees pulled tightly to her chest, resting her chin on them like a small abandoned puppy.
And in a voice as fragile as autumn wind, she whispered:
"Give back my Kyousuke..."
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