Chihaya Anon hurried back to class and, the mont she stepped inside, her eyes shot straight toward the back by the windows, near the curtains. There he was—Kazami Haru, with his black hair and dark eyes, sitting in his usual spot, chatting casually with Takamatsu Tomori.
The sight made her heart skip.
Today felt nothing like yesterday.
The mont her eyes landed on Kazami Haru, the corners of her mouth curled upward on their own, and her heart began to beat just a bit faster. His side profile, calm and smiling, was almost dazzling, enough to captivate her instantly.
She definitely hadn't felt like this yesterday...
But just seeing him now made her want to run up to him, hug him, and get all snuggly.
"Haru~! Good morning!"
Seeing "Ex-Wife No. 2" again after just a day off made Haru's mories of the simulation resurface.
Today, Chihaya Anon had a certain youthful glow about her. Her brilliant, crystal-clear eyes shimred with mischief, and her lively cherry-pink hair swayed behind her, radiating beauty and charm that could steal anyone's breath away.
Haru found himself a little stunned.
"Morning, Anon."
But trying to hide the slight stir in his heart, his tone unintentionally ca off distant.
That lukewarm, almost cold response made Anon puff out her cheeks in frustration.
In the "dream," he had been her devoted husband, but now that they were face-to-face again, he was acting this indifferent?!
Kazami Haru, you jerk! Just wait till I finish capturing your heart, I'm going to teach↑ you↓ a real lesson!
With that vow made in her heart, Anon gave herself a quick ntal pep talk and leaned in to try the line she'd rehearsed in her head all morning. "Haru, you look like you didn't sleep well. Everything okay?"
Haru raised an eyebrow and replied calmly, "I don't think so?"
Anon didn't seem ready to give up.
"Really? Nothing weird happened last night?"
Sothing weird?
Well... he had been out ssing around with the Kessoku Band girls, but surely it didn't show that obviously?
Did she see sothing?
Even if she did, it wouldn't matter much. If it were in the simulation, sure, he might've panicked. But this was real life, totally different story.
Besides, it was just a regular band practice. It's not like he was throwing a wild party at LoveHouse or sothing.
"Nope."
"Are you feeling unwell at all?"
"Not at all."
She looked like she still had sothing she wanted to say, and that flash of hesitation in her eyes made Haru narrow his gaze slightly.
What was up with this pink-haired brat today?
Since when did she care this much? Did she fall for him overnight or sothing?
anwhile, Takamatsu Tomori sat beside them, holding a yellow-browed penguin-thed band-aid, nervously checking her pockets for the cold dicine and fever reducer she always carried. Her eyes darted over to Haru, full of concern.
"Haru... if you're not feeling well, do you want to... lie down on my lap for a bit?"
"I'd be honored."
Without a mont of hesitation, Haru was ready to enjoy the magical bliss of the Little Penguin Knee Pillow, until Chihaya Anon, veins practically popping with fury, stepped in and stopped him cold.
"Didn't you just say you weren't feeling unwell?"
"You can't use Tomori's kindness as an excuse to get handsy with her!"
Haru froze, then imdiately tried to defend himself. "That wasn't sneaky. I was being completely honest about it."
Damn pink-haired brat, you ruined my mont!
"Tch..."
Anon put a hand on her hip and let out a small sigh as she looked Haru over.
Just as she feared, it seed she was the only one who had dread about the "future." Haru hadn't changed at all from the day before. Even though she had braced herself, facing the reality still stung a little.
But she wasn't going to let that stop her.
Even if Haru hadn't seen the sa dream, she could just win him over again, right?
With her charm, it would be a total breeze~
Her sunny, perfect smile returned, and with it ca a hint of pride in her heart.
Step one was to naturally get closer to him bit by bit. If she was too forward, it might seem unladylike. She needed to keep those spicy urges in check for now.
Once they beca a couple, though? Then he'd be all hers to tease and kiss and snuggle as she pleased.
She was just about to invite Haru to practice guitar after school when, right then, Tomori, who'd been nervously fiddling with the hem of her skirt the whole ti, suddenly reached out and gently tugged on Haru's sleeve.
That tiny gesture instantly captured his attention.
Tomori slowly lifted her head, her hesitant and slightly teary gaze turning toward him.
"Haru, I... I have a favor to ask."
"Would it be okay if I invited you... to the planetarium with ? I really... want to go with you."
Today, Tomori was clearly different.
She'd had another dream about Kazami Haru the night before.
But this one wasn't like the last. All she could see were fleeting, blurry fragnts—brief monts that felt heartbreakingly real. She couldn't tell what was fantasy and what was truth, but the emotions in those fragnts struck her deeply.
The one image stuck in her head when she woke up—
Anon, wearing a wedding dress, clinging to Haru's arm with the brightest, happiest smile imaginable and Haru standing beside her, gazing only at her with a tender, adoring look in his eyes, as if she's his entire world.
That scene had frozen Tomori's heart.
The world's sounds vanished.
Ti itself seed to stop. Silence swallowed everything around her like a vacuum.
Watching cherry blossoms dance and fall through the air, she felt a deep sadness take root in her chest.
She had to fight the overwhelming urge to cry.
But the more she tried to suppress her emotions, the stronger they beca, pushing her past her limits.
"U-Um..."
Her voice trembled now. She was beginning to regret it.
As soone who always assud the worst, Tomori felt crushed by guilt the mont she let those words out. That desire in her heart—so raw, so powerful had surged up and taken control before she could think.
Now, she was terrified of seeing disappointnt on Haru's face.
But the words were already out.
Like a scared little kitten, she looked up at him with wide eyes, scratching at the floor with her tiny claws, ready to bolt the second sothing went wrong.
"...Eh?! Eh?!"
It took Chihaya Anon a full few seconds to register what just happened. Her dumbfounded expression, paired with her cute little fang peeking out, made the scene almost comical.
That one step ahead... Tomori had stolen the initiative. The words Anon had spent all morning preparing were now caught in her throat.
Was Tomori... asking Haru on a date?
Unbelievable.
For soone as shy as Tomori to make the first move and invite Haru on a date, that would've been unthinkable before!
"You want to go to the planetarium with ?" Haru asked, surprised.
He looked at the nervous, adorable little penguin in front of him, his expression stunned. So stunned, he forgot to answer right away.
Then, a flicker of mory from the simulation crossed his mind, and his brow furrowed slightly.
This was weird. Even in the simulation, Tomori had never asked him out like this.
Could it really be that the simulation had, without him realizing, affected Tomori's personality?
If things were really as he suspected, then that pink-haired idiot who married him in the simulation should've been influenced too.
Kazami Haru shot a quick glance at Chihaya Anon. That pink fuzzball still seed a bit ditzy, just like usual. A wave of relief washed over him, like a heavy stone rolling off his chest.
"U-Um—"
"I-I didn't an anything by it! I just wanted to ask if Haru had any free ti..."
"If you're busy lately, I totally understand..."
Seeing Kazami Haru frozen in place, Takamatsu Tomori's eyes dimd with a hint of disappointnt, and she quickly flailed her hands in a small panic.
That anxious yet hopeful expression tugged at sothing in Haru's chest, he couldn't help but feel a surge of tenderness.
Just that one little sentence, and Haru was already dazed.
How's anyone supposed to resist that?
Refusing her? Not even an option. Since Tomori had mustered up the courage to ask him, there was no way he could say "no." He couldn't even bring himself to think it.
So instead, he took a deep breath and gently gripped her soft hand.
With a sincerity in his voice that matched the seriousness in his eyes, Kazami Haru replied, "Of course I have ti. Would Friday work for you?"
"Huh?"
Chihaya Anon's soft gray eyes widened in shock. Wasn't this Friday the day he was supposed to co over to her place to practice guitar?
Wasn't she supposed to be the main girl?!
"But... Haru, don't you have guitar practice with on Friday?"
"Still, I'm really happy you said yes..."
Seeing how much Haru valued her invitation, the gloom on Takamatsu Tomori's face slowly lted away.
A faint smile blood on her flushed cheeks, her lake-colored eyes glimring with warmth. She shyly lowered her head, clearly flustered.
Just a simple answer, and her mood had done a full one-eighty.
The little penguin was so easily satisfied.
"Ah—"
Hearing Tomori's response jolted Kazami Haru's mory.
Oh no. He'd nearly forgotten about Anon, Tomori's cuteness had completely derailed his thoughts.
He didn't even need to turn around to feel the sharp glare boring into him from Chihaya Anon. Trapped in the mont, his mind scrambled to find a solution and he landed on the perfect compromise.
"In that case, how about Saturday evening instead?"
"...Okay! That works for ."
A delighted smile curved at Takamatsu Tomori's lips. Just imagining doing sothing fun together with Haru made her break into a quiet, anticipatory laugh.
Her tiny fra even gave a little wiggle of joy without her realizing it.
Seeing the penguin act that adorably, Kazami Haru reached out, unable to resist, and gently ran his fingers through Tomori's silky gray hair. She closed her eyes in bliss.
"Mmmm..."
Chihaya Anon stood stiffly, a stunned glint flickering in her crystal-like gray eyes.
This was bad, Haru was being way too doting on Tomori right now.
Even Anon had to admit that Tomori's current state had an "absurd cuteness power." Whatever she said now, Haru would agree without question. Even Anon herself couldn't take that head-on.
So unfair! She really couldn't force a smile this ti!
She'd thought Rikki was the one she had to be wary of. But the one hiding her true strength all along was Tomori, the girl who'd always seed too timid to make a move.
Who knew one line could hit that hard?!
That usually smug pink-haired fluffball was definitely feeling a bit salty now.
But Anon wasn't about to lose.
3:00 PM—
It was almost ti for school to end, but Chihaya Anon was still stewing over what happened earlier.
Still, she was confident. Tomori had only scored one date. anwhile, she got to bring Haru ho for guitar practice all the ti.
With a few more sessions and a little bolder physical contact, she'd surely get Haru to notice her feelings. And then? A confession would seal the deal in one clean blow!
Just like the old saying: The one closest to the water gets the moon first!
She couldn't let her guard down. Today, she was going to make a move!
"Alright, let's go!"
With her head full of strategy, Chihaya Anon curled her finger around a strand of cherry-pink hair and pounced while Haru was still half-asleep from his nap.
"Haru! Um... could you co over to my place to practice today?"
"Today?"
"Yeah! I even got a bunch of snacks ready. The chocolate twist bread you said you wanted to try, and that KISS coffee you like, I've got it all!"
"So, what do you think? Want to co?"
Kazami Haru paused, thinking for a second as he looked out the window.
He was supposed to work at Rabbit House today, but since winning that million-credit reward from Daisho, money wasn't exactly tight. He could afford to skip a shift.
It wasn't that the free snacks and drinks were too tempting...
"Alright then—" Just as he was about to agree, sothing outside caught his eye. His lazy dark eyes sharpened with sudden alertness.
He frowned slightly.
"Sorry, Anon. I just rembered—I've got sothing I need to do today."
"Eh?! Wai—"
Before Anon could recover, Kazami Haru had dashed out of the classroom, leaving her standing there, stunned, frustration creeping onto her face.
"What the heck is going on?!"
...
A girl with a cool expression carried her bag gracefully in one hand. Her pale blue twin tails floated behind her like artwork in motion.
She was beautiful, so much so that it was almost surreal, like the warmth of spring sunshine incarnate.
Despite her silence and calm deanor, her striking looks and snowy-lotus elegance made her stand out in any crowd.
"Hmph... I really need to repay him next ti."
"Why'd he have to go and make a lunchbox anyway? Now I feel like I have to return the favor..."
Togawa Sakiko muttered with a touch of annoyance. But as she recalled the al Kazami Haru had made for her, her tense expression gradually softened.
A gentle smile crept onto her lips.
Maybe next ti, she'd cook sothing for him.
What would he say?
Knowing him, he'd probably just say, "It's alright," in that calm way of his... and still finish every bite.
Just picturing it made her want to laugh.
"Hey, isn't that the uniform from Tsukinomori Academy?"
"She's so cute! Like a doll! What's she doing at our school?"
"Maybe she's waiting for soone? Can't believe a Tsukinomori rich girl would show up at Haneoka..."
The increasing buzz of chatter made Sakiko's delicate brows furrow slightly.
Tsukinomori...?
Just hearing the na made her feel a wave of unease.
Her eyes quickly darted toward the school gates, and there she saw the source of the commotion.
A girl she knew far too well.
Long, exquisite green hair glimred like jade under the sun. She wore a deep-blue Tsukinomori uniform and stood still as a doll, her expression unreadable. Now and then, she rose on her toes to peer this way, her gemstone-gold eyes scanning carefully.
"..."
The mont Sakiko saw her, her smile vanished. Her expression turned cold and unreadable.
From across the gate, Wakaba Mutsumi finally noticed Sakiko approaching. Her blank face twitched slightly, and from that mont, her gaze never left her.
The ssage couldn't be clearer.
"Haaah..."
Sakiko took a deep breath. Her piano-trained fingers tightened around her bag strap. Pushing down the frustration bubbling up inside her, she quickened her pace.
Why is Mutsumi here at Haneoka... and why is she just standing there at the gate like it's nothing?
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