The party was hosted at the home of one of their self-invited acquaintances—a spacious detached house with a generous lawn, situated in a desirable neighborhood.
Ran pressed the doorbell.
"Coming, coming! We've been waiting!"
A booming voice preceded the opening of the door, revealing a tall, muscular young man. His features were ordinary, but his chest and arm muscles were imposingly large. He swung the door open with a wide, expectant grin, which promptly faltered upon seeing the handsome young man standing behind Ran and Sonoko.
"And you are?"
"A pleasure to meet you. My name is Haruki. I'm accompanying these two ladies today."
"…"
Facing Haruki's disarming smile, Wakamatsu Toshihide felt his own expression freeze. He looked at Ran, the object of his intense interest, then back at the impossibly handsome man beside her. His initial excitement plummeted.
"May we come in?"
"Wakamatsu, don't block the doorway! Weren't you saying two lovely ladies were—Ah! Are you… Haruki-sensei? The mystery novelist?!"
Just as Wakamatsu stood stiffly, a female voice piped up from behind his broad frame. A girl squeezed past him, and the moment she saw Haruki, her eyes lit up.
"That's correct."
"Really?! I'm a huge fan!"
"The pleasure is mine. But, might we enter first?"
"Oh! Of course, of course, please come in!"
The girl hastily moved aside. The trio stepped into the foyer, offering polite greetings as they exchanged their shoes for house slippers.
A small group was already gathered in the living room. The enthusiastic girl rushed ahead. "Hiromi! Guess who's here?"
"Who?"
"Ta-da~!"
"Ah! Haruki-sensei?!"
A pretty girl in the midst of the group stood up, genuinely surprised.
"Hello."
Haruki returned the greeting while discreetly surveying the room. Aside from the girl named "Hiromi," most faces bore expressions of polite confusion or blank unfamiliarity. One boy looked mildly surprised but otherwise unimpressed… So, Futaba Publishing's promotional reach is noticeable, but still primarily resonates with a female demographic.
"Let me introduce everyone! This is Haruki-sensei, the mystery novelist that Kaori and I both adore!" Hiromi announced to the group.
"A novelist!"
"He looks so young."
"Welcome."
"Right, everyone, let's do introductions!" Sekiya Kaori, the girl who'd let them in, took charge. She pointed to herself first. "I'm Sekiya Kaori. We're all members of the Beika University Medical School tennis club."
"I'm Kazuhiko Minagawa, the club president. Welcome to my home," said a reasonably handsome young man, raising a hand in greeting.
"Watanabe Hiromi. Nice to meet you," the pretty girl added with a nod.
Next was a boy sitting quietly to the side, sipping a drink. Though present, his demeanor was gloomy, and he showed no intention of introducing himself.
"Naomichi is always like this, don't mind him," Sekiya Kaori said with an airy wave.
Ran and Sonoko then introduced themselves.
The muscular college student, Wakamatsu, who had followed them in, perked up considerably upon hearing Haruki was merely Ran's cousin, here as an escort. The cloud over his head seemed to vanish instantly.
"Everyone finished? Good! Now for the grand finale!" he boomed, his mood visibly restored. He flexed his impressive biceps with a grin. "I am the gentle yet strong, deeply sensitive soul who isn't afraid to cry—I am Wakamatsu Toshihide!"
"…"
Haruki glanced at him, offering a polite, noncommittal smile. He then leaned slightly toward Ran and murmured, "Is he the one who extended the invitation?"
"Yes," Ran whispered back, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
Haruki gave a subtle nod of understanding.
The college students quickly ushered them to sit. Once Sonoko and Ran were seated, Wakamatsu eagerly plopped down right next to Ran.
His intention was transparent. Haruki reached over and placed a light hand on the larger man's shoulder. "Mr. Wakamatsu, would you mind shifting over? Ran isn't entirely comfortable sitting so close to someone she's just met."
"…Ahaha, Ran and I aren't strangers! It's fine, right, Ran?" Wakamatsu laughed, scratching the back of his head before turning to her for confirmation.
"Um…"
"My apologies, but your… personal scent is somewhat pronounced," Haruki interjected, his smile never wavering. "Would you mind moving?"
Wakamatsu's head swiveled back to Haruki. Anger flashed across his face—a predictable reaction. Yet, under Haruki's steady, unblinking gaze, he finally, grudgingly, scooted over.
At least he's capable of understanding a direct request. If he hadn't moved, Haruki might have been forced to consider a more… permanent solution to free up the seat.
"So tasteless…" Sonoko muttered into Ran's ear.
An awkward silence had fallen over the other students. Once Haruki took the now-vacated seat, they exchanged uneasy glances. Sekiya Kaori was the first to recover, lifting her glass with forced cheer.
"Come on, let's have a drink!"
"Try the food, too. Hiromi and I made some of it. Tell us what you think!"
"A toast! To Valentine's Day!"
"Cheers!"
Glasses clinked around the table.
As the others drank, Ran turned her head slightly toward Haruki. "Thank you," she murmured.
"It's nothing. Enjoy yourself," he replied softly, his smile genuine for a moment.
His attention, however, was suddenly caught by movement outside the glass door behind him—a conspicuous rustling in the bushes of the yard.
When he turned back, a young woman in an elegant kimono emerged from the kitchen carrying a large pot, a bright smile on her face. "Everyone, thank you for waiting. The main event is here!"
"Wow! Sukiyaki? That's amazing!"
"There's sushi coming later, too. I'll go get it."
"Thank you so much, Auntie!" Watanabe Hiromi said.
Sonoko stared, her eyes wide. "Auntie? You're… Kazuhiko's mother? But you look so young!"
"Hehe, you're too kind," the woman laughed, covering her mouth with a graceful hand.
Indeed, the woman appeared to be in her early thirties at most, while Kazuhiko Minagawa was a university student nearing graduation.
Haruki's gaze shifted to Kazuhiko himself. The young man was frowning, his expression dark and displeased.
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