About a week passes. The girls fully moved and are now familiar with Kaito’s house. Every night, they play games or watch a movie, cook up dinner together, and every now and then, Mai is found sleeping next to Kaito.

  Everyone is at school, a sunny day with no clouds on the sky. All the students are talking, laughing and looking on their phones. Kaito is chilling with Hikaru, eating their lunches as usual on the rooftop.

  “What have you been up to lately?”

  “Nothing much…”

  I can’t tell him the girls moved in my house last week! I’ll get slaughtered by all the boys in the school. I can already hear them…”GUILTY! EXECUTE HIM LEADER TOSHIYAMA!”

  “It’s been a week since we went to Karaoke. Something must have happened.”

  “Well…I might get back in the voice acting industry.”

  “And why’s that?” said Hikaru, surprised by such a sudden decision.

  “You know my background. I’ve been offered the role of voice acting the main character in the upcoming number 1 anime.”

  “But you have enough money.”

  “It’s not cash-related. It’s an old trauma I need to overcome.”

  Looking at my lunch, he reaches out for a piece of egg roll.

  “Is that so…can I have a bite of your bento?”

  “Uh, sure. Here.”

  I hold the egg roll in my chopsticks and hand it to him.

  “It looks fancier than usual…did someone cook it for you?”

  He's putting the puzzle together!

  “W-what are you saying man?! You know I’m a good cook.”

  “That sounds about right. Anyways, thanks for the meal!”

  Break ends and the two of us go back to our classroom, where it was livelier than ever. Everyone was still surrounding Mizuki, like always.

  Akane and Mai were having their lunch with Kaguya. We go talk to them a bit.

  “Hey girls! How’s it going?”

  “We’re fine Hikaru. What about you?”

  “I just had lunch with Kaito. What do you say about hitting an arcade later?”

  Akane and Mai look amazed.

  “Sure, let’s go!” they said in perfect sync.

  “It’s settled then. Let’s go straight after school.”

  Kaguya hesitates for a second.

  “I have something to do after school. You guys go on. Kaito, come outside the classroom with me for a bit.”

  “What for?”

  “Just come.”

  They step outside the classroom. Akane and Mai heard nothing because they were imagining the prizes from the arcade center: "Plushies!" said Mai, "Vouchers!" continued Akane.

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  “You still have that gaming PC, right?”

  “Yes, I do. Why are you asking?”

  “I need to use it for a bit. My PC broke down.”

  “I see, what do you need to use it for?”

  Putting her finger on her chin and looking up, she comes up with a great answer, which I could not refuse.

  “I want to play a game I bought recently, and read a bit of the manga series I’m keeping an eye on. It released a new chapter yesterday.”

  She's just like me!

  “Sure thing. Come after school.”

  “Thank you!”

  She happily returns to the classroom.

  Well, that was more normal than I thought…wait. WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. She doesn’t know I live with Akane and Mai. They will be away at the arcade…phew.

  I go back to the classroom and go on about for the last 2 classes.

  I wonder what game she wants to play. Maybe I’m into it.

  It’s evening now. School’s done for today.

  Hikaru gathered up both Akane and Mai for the arcade.

  “Akane, Mai, let’s go!”

  “Yes, Hikaru! Let’s hurry up!”

  The three of them run to the arcade, like children.

  Kaguya takes me aside while the three of them happily hop towards the exit.

  “Let’s go.”

  “Sure.”

  We take the train and stop by a convenience store to buy some food.

  I didn’t know her preferences so I ask: “Onigiri or Sushi?”

  “Let’s get some Sushi and share it.”

  “Anything to drink?”

  “Some Lemon Tea. And please avoid tuna sushi.”

  “Alright.”

  I enter the supermarket and look for the products.

  Let’s see…Lemon Tea, and…ONLY SALMON SUSHI LEFT?! Come on man…and it’s 3000 yen. Ouch.

  I leave the supermarket and show the bag to Kaguya.

  “Let’s go. I got everything.”

  “Thank you!”

  My wallet is crying, but…

  “No worries.”

  We leave the supermarket area, going to my house.

  Kaguya, a bit ahead of me, turns around and asks: “Kaito, what do you usually do in your free time?”

  “What’s up with the question?”

  “Don’t know, just wanted to make the atmosphere a bit more fun.”

  “Well…I like playing video games and reading mangas, and, of course, watching animes! Oh, and you already know the fact that I love football.”

  “Is that so…maybe we will play football someday, together! I also love anime & manga!”

  I look at her with an unnerving smile.

  “Don’t expect me to go light on you while playing football. Suit yourself.”

  Her face screamed of competitiveness.

  “You’re on!”

  We approach my house. The sky was orange, with little stars every here and then. The street’s lighting made for a nostalgic feel.

  We enter, leave our bags on the couch and head to my room.

  “Here’s the PC. Use it to your heart’s content.”

  I let her work. I start watching an anime, a rom-com to be more specific.

  Some of the exchanges in the anime left Kaguya intrigued.

  She turns her head to me and smiles.

  “Huh? Wish that would happen between you, Akane and Mai, right? Hehe, I always knew you had feelings for them. Who wouldn’t. Even I feel the urge to hug Mai every now and then. She’s just so cute.”

  “You wish. Work on your stuff and leave the rom-com situations for authors.”

  “Sure, sure. I’m almost done. Let’s eat up the sushi afterwards.”

  Then we hear the front door open. WAIT, I FORGOT ABOUT MIZUKI.

  “I’m home, Kaito! Are you here? The door was unlocked!”

  Kaguya looks at me, with a teasing yet cool look on her face.

  “Really? Then what’s that?”

  I’m starting to sweat.

  “SHE’S LIVING WITH MAI, NOT WITH ME. SHE JUST BARGES IN HERE EVERY NOW AND THEN.”

  “She said, ‘I’m home’. That doesn’t sound right.”

  She's too smart for her own good!

  I run my hands through my hair as I try to calm down.

  “Isn’t she a goofball…hehe.”

  I’m sweating really hard. I’m surprised that I forgot to tell her to go with the three of them (which were currently at the 10k yen mark for a plushie, and they finally got it saying ‘Yaaay!’).

  What’s worse? She heads upstairs, to my room!

  “Kaito! Why didn’t you respond? Oh…Kaguya-san? What are you doing here?”

  “I’m just working on something via Kaito’s PC. What’s this about?”

  Mizuki turns red and gets a bit flustered. She didn’t want anyone to know that she lives with him. It would lead to bad rumours around the school.

  “Well…I was just looking for Mai. The door’s locked. I’'s not like I live here with him or anything.”

  “I never implied that.”

  Mizuki’s face was crimson.

  “Forget it! I’m going to sit on the couch until Mai comes. Is that alright K-K-Kaito?”

  “Y-y-y-yes, go ahead!”

  Close call. I almost got busted. But just as we finished this scene…there goes the door again. Mai was talking loudly.

  “Kaito! Mizuki! We’re home. Come take a look at the plushies we got! Is dinner ready?”

  Both I and Mizuki turn our head slow at each other. We’re speechless. Kaguya turns her facial expression back to the teasing and cool look.

  “Defend against that.”

  “U-uh…”

  And the two of them come in front of my room.

  “Mizuki! Kaito! Look at all these!”

  And then they look to their right, in the corner of my room, a friendly and familiar sillhouette fixing them with her stare.

  “K-Kaguya…?”