"On this kind of thing, I'd prefer if you could be a little more tactful. There's no need to be so blunt."
"I didn't actually put a tracker on you," Koharu replied calmly, twirling her fork through the seafood pasta in front of her. "It's just that, whenever you weren't around, I'd sometimes walk near the homes of girls you're close with. And then, well… one day I happened to see you back in Tokyo, Haruto."
That answer unsettled Haruto even more than if she'd admitted to planting a GPS on him.
"Honestly, that sounds a lot worse than the first answer you gave me."
"You don't need to worry. If something ever happens to you, I can always make sure your girls hear about it."
"...That sounds a lot like a threat, you know?"
Haruto sighed, cutting into the medium-rare steak in front of him. It wasn't anything fancy like wagyū, just a regular dish at an ordinary western-style restaurant.
"Haruto, aren't you planning to head home today?"
"The apartment? Not tonight. It's Christmas Eve... I'll go back tomorrow."
"Christmas Eve, huh? So you're planning to spend it with your girlfriend?"
"Yeah."
Koharu didn't argue. She simply finished her meal in silence, took a small sip of lemon water, then rose from her chair.
"Then I'll head back first. Call me when you have time, Haruto."
"Mm."
Haruto watched her hop lightly off the seat like a child before strolling out of the restaurant. Left alone, he went back over his plans, reassessing what he needed to do.
After lunch, Haruto wandered around Minato Ward for a while before returning to Yuka's apartment at around three in the afternoon, waiting for the two girls to come home.
He sat at the desk, staring at his laptop for nearly an hour. At first, he tried to decide what kind of story he should write next... whether he should attempt something with more depth. But before he realized it, his thoughts had drifted to what would happen tonight.
Would Sayu resist? Would Yuka dislike it?
Thinking back to last night, Yuka hadn't seemed particularly repelled. Even if she wasn't fond of it, she probably wouldn't show it outright.
Not show it, huh?
Am I being too selfish again?
Sometimes, Haruto reflected on his own personality and actions. Yet no matter how much he reflected, it never stopped him from repeating the same behavior the next time. Adults were just bigger children, after all and sometimes, not even as mature as children.
With that thought, Haruto exhaled and refocused on the blank document in front of him. His fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment before he began typing in a steady rhythm, line after line filling the screen.
_ _ _
Meanwhile, Sayu had been considering going back to her own apartment tonight. But the thought of Haruto and Yuka alone together made her chest ache with a sour, stinging feeling.
"It's almost time. Let's head out together," Yuka said.
"Huh? Oh… okay."
Lost in thought, Sayu was startled by Yuka's voice. She quickly nodded, flustered.
"Sayu, actually... "
"Mm?"
Sayu looked at her, waiting.
"No, never mind."
Yuka smiled faintly, letting the moment pass. After finishing up the last of their work and handing things off to the other staff, the two left the yakiniku shop.
By the time they reached the apartment around five o'clock, they found Haruto seated at the desk, fingers flying across the keyboard with a focused intensity.
Yuka paused in the doorway, watching him quietly. She exchanged a glance with Sayu, gesturing for her to keep quiet, before slipping into the kitchen to start preparing dinner.
Haruto, of course, had noticed their return. But he was caught in the flow of his writing, and he didn't want to break the momentum. His eyes remained glued to the screen, his hands moving almost automatically as if guided by instinct alone.
The two girls prepared dinner while occasionally sneaking glances at him. Sayu was amazed that he could keep up that level of concentration for so long, while Yuka simply smiled softly, used to this side of him.
The sound of typing filled the room for nearly two hours before Haruto finally leaned back, stretching his neck and arms. At that moment, Yuka stepped closer.
"Dinner's ready."
"Hmm? Ah, got it."
Haruto turned his head toward her, smiling tiredly. He rose, went to wash up, and returned to the table where Yuka and Sayu were already seated.
Glancing at the plates of food laid out neatly, his eyes flicked toward Sayu.
"Don't eat too much."
"Eh?" Sayu blinked, confused.
Haruto gave her a faint smile, one that carried just enough implication for her to understand. Realization dawned, and her face instantly turned red. She opened her mouth, then shut it again, flustered.
"You…"
"What is it?"
"...Nothing."
Dinner passed in relative quiet, the three of them eating together.
Afterward, Haruto asked casually, "So, how's work been treating you?"
Sayu tilted her head. "What do you mean?"
"I mean the atmosphere. The customers you get."
"Oh. Well, most are normal, but there are plenty of troublesome ones too. Especially greasy middle-aged men, or groups of rowdy guys... they're such a pain."
The moment the topic of customers came up, Sayu's expression soured. Her smile vanished, replaced with an exasperated eye-roll as she began venting.
Haruto chuckled at her complaints, reaching out to poke her cheek lightly. "Is it really that bad?"
"Not always. But compared to the good customers, there are always some weirdos."
Yuka nodded in agreement, her face thoughtful.
"Weirdos?" Haruto asked.
"Like people who dip grilled meat in fruit juice," Sayu said flatly.
"..."
That was… a vivid image. Haruto fell silent.
"Well, I can't judge personal taste too much. But some people even put the sauce dishes on the grill itself! Isn't that insane?"
"Maybe it was their first time?"
"It's such a mess to clean up! And then there are the ones who pour sauce all over the grill plate."
"...Yeah, that's definitely weird."
"But those are still tolerable. The worst are the ones who..."
Sayu's face twisted in disgust, as though the memory was too nauseating to describe. Haruto blinked, curiosity piqued.
He glanced at Yuka, silently asking for clarification.
"You mean the thing that happened the day before yesterday?" Yuka asked gently.
"Mm." Sayu nodded grimly.
Sayu hesitated for a long time, struggling with whether she should speak up. In the end, she couldn't bring herself to describe what had happened. Yuka, sensing her reluctance, took over for her, explaining to Haruto, who was watching with growing curiosity.
"The night before last, around closing time, a customer came in. He was a terrible drinker, but he sat alone in the corner for quite a while, drinking and eating. Just as we were about to close, he suddenly went on a drunken rampage. He staggered over to the register and… well, he urinated all over it."
Even as she said it aloud, Yuka's face tightened with disgust.
"..."
"No normal, civilized person would ever do something like that, right?"
Remembering the incident, Sayu's face twisted in discomfort. She clutched Haruto's sleeve tightly, as if seeking some reassurance from him.
"And then?" Haruto asked.
"The manager didn't want to make a scene since it might hurt business, so he didn't call the police right away. But the whole cash register…"
Sayu shivered involuntarily, pressing herself against Haruto.
"It was soaked. Absolutely filthy. The manager had all the bills inside taken out, but they were wet too… all those banknotes."
"No one reported it?"
"The manager said reporting it would only invite suspicion, like something had happened to the store itself. So he just let the guy settle his tab and leave, then closed early."
"And the money?"
"I don't know how the manager handled it afterward, but… ugh…"
Sayu suddenly fell silent, then raised her head and glanced nervously at Yuka.
"..."
"There's no way, right?"
"..."
The two girls exchanged uneasy looks. Yuka bit her lip lightly.
"I didn't touch the wages this time. The envelopes were left sealed, and everyone just picked up their own."
"..."
Sayu's hand went instinctively to her wallet, her face twisting in revulsion. In the next second, she leapt up from Haruto's lap, hurried into the bathroom, and began furiously scrubbing her hands.
"..."
"Her reaction seems a bit over the top, doesn't it?" Haruto murmured, lifting his teacup and sipping quietly as he watched her disappear behind the bathroom door.
"Anyway, it's Christmas Eve today. I didn't get any apples prepared, but..."
He rose, walked over to his desk, and retrieved a small, pure-white box. Returning, he placed it gently into Yuka's hands.
"See if you like it."
"A gift?"
"Mm."
Yuka accepted it, fingers carefully untying the ribbon. She opened the lid to find a silver bracelet inlaid with sapphire, shining faintly under the light. Picking it up, she gazed at it in her palm, her eyes filled with love.
"Thank you."
"As long as you like it."
Sayu finally emerged from the bathroom about ten minutes later, her face showing lingering discomfort. Just as she was about to sit down, Haruto placed another small box in front of her, this one pink.
The girl froze for a moment, staring at the box blankly.
"For me?"
"See if you like it."
She glanced at Yuka, noticing the white box resting near her. Realizing Yuka had already received her gift earlier, Sayu let out a quiet breath of relief. Without a word, she accepted the little box from Haruto.
Untying the ribbon, Sayu found a delicate bracelet nestled inside, adorned with small red gemstones that caught the light.
Although she was the daughter of a food company's chairman, living with her mother all this time meant she had never once received such a precious gift. Staring at the bracelet before her, her eyes widened slightly, and then her expression slowly fell into silence.
"...Thank you."
"As long as you like it," Haruto replied with a gentle smile.
He rose to his feet and pulled a brand-new mattress and bedding set out from beneath the bed.
"Tonight, you won't have to worry about there not being enough space to sleep."
His gaze shifted from Sayu to Yuka, who was quietly sitting nearby. With a soft smile, Haruto looked at the two of them...
~~~~~~~~~~
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