After going to the bathroom first, Yuigahama Yui walked into the small bedroom.
She paused slightly when she saw Isshiki Iroha sitting inside.
She had thought Iroha would be staying in Akira's room tonight, but unexpectedly…
"Iroha-chan?" Yui blinked, looking a little surprised.
"Senpai Yui," Isshiki said softly, "I talked with Senpai before and heard about the agreement between you and Yukinoshita-senpai. I realized that my feelings for Akira-senpai can't compare to yours. So… I asked him to let me stay by his side like this."
"Then… what happened?" Yui asked, a little embarrassed as she recalled how she'd cried when she asked Akira for help earlier that day. Just remembering it made her cheeks warm.
"Senpai agreed," Iroha said honestly, "but there might be some trouble with my family. So, maybe I'll become a maid with Yui-senpai in the future. When that time comes, please take care of me."
"Ah… o-okay…" Yui stammered, a little flustered.
.....
Friday Morning
Isshiki Iroha got up early and went straight to the kitchen, preparing breakfast for both Yuigahama Yui and Akira Fujimiya.
Not long after she entered the kitchen, Akira came out of his room and went to wash up.
After finishing, he glanced toward the kitchen and saw Iroha bustling about with a bright smile.
"Breakfast will be ready soon, senpai," she said cheerfully. "Please go wake up Yui-senpai."
"Thanks for the hard work, Iroha," Akira said, nodding as he walked toward the small bedroom.
"It's not hard at all, senpai," she murmured to herself with a soft smile.
Akira entered the small bedroom quietly. Yuigahama Yui was still sound asleep, her hair slightly messy, her breathing calm. He walked to her side and, mischievously, slipped one hand under the blanket.
A few minutes later, Yui stirred awake.
When she saw Akira so close, her pretty face turned bright red.
"B-big bad guy, Akira-kun…"
"Would you like me to help you get dressed?" Akira teased as he withdrew his hand.
"N-no need! If Iroha-chan saw this, my dignity as a senpai would be gone forever," Yui mumbled in embarrassment.
"Then get up quickly," Akira said with a small laugh, leaning down to kiss her forehead before leaving the room.
Yui sat up, her face still flushed, and began changing into her uniform.
.....
After breakfast, Isshiki Iroha carefully prepared lunch boxes for both Akira and Yui. The presentation looked as delicious as the smell.
Yuigahama Yui couldn't help but feel envious of Iroha's cooking skills, while Iroha, on the other hand, secretly admired Yui's figure and kind-hearted personality. To her, Yui was the perfect example of the type of girl every guy would fall for.
The three of them finished packing up and went downstairs together.
Kawasaki Saki was already waiting by the door. She raised an eyebrow when she saw Iroha with them but didn't look too surprised.
The four of them started their walk toward Sobu High School.
The morning weather was perfect—clear skies, a light breeze, and the faint scent of rain still in the air from last night. The sunlight reflected gently on the wet roads.
"This kind of weather is perfect for a morning run," Yui said brightly as she watched some joggers pass by.
"Yui," Akira said, glancing at her, "you shouldn't run in the morning. It's not good for you."
"But if I don't run, I'll gain weight," she whispered shyly. On weekends, she sometimes went jogging around her neighborhood.
"Don't worry, you won't," Akira replied with a faint smile.
What he didn't say out loud was that every bit of nutrition Yui consumed went exactly where it should.
Isshiki Iroha, catching his expression, leaned toward Yui and whispered something in her ear.
Yui's face turned scarlet instantly, and even Kawasaki Saki blushed faintly after overhearing Iroha's cheeky remark.
Akira noticed and immediately guessed what Iroha had whispered, but he didn't correct her.
Instead, he continued walking as if nothing had happened.
"I'm a little envious of Yukino," Yui muttered softly.
"Senpai Yui," Iroha said with a smile, "you shouldn't say that in front of Yukinoshita-senpai. She'd definitely care about something like that. Besides, we all envy you, Senpai Yui. You're so beautiful and kind—Akira-senpai must love girls like you."
"I like beautiful girls," Akira said honestly.
"…" The three girls fell silent at once.
....
Meanwhile, at Hiratsuka-sensei's place—
Hiratsuka Shizuka had taken leave from school and hadn't been attending classes for a few days. The administration hadn't pressured her to return either—after all, it was Hiratsuka Nohara who had personally contacted the principal to request the leave, and no one dared refuse him.
Without school to attend, her mornings had fallen into a lazy routine.
She usually woke up late—sometimes around nine o'clock—when classes at Sobu High had already started.
Every morning, when she got out of bed and went to the dining table, she found breakfast already waiting for her. It felt strange… almost as if she were the one being taken care of instead of the other way around.
After eating and washing the dishes, Shizuka returned to her room, where the quiet girl was already sitting at a low table, studying intently.
When she noticed Shizuka, she looked up and greeted her in sign language.
Shizuka smiled softly and signed back: Good morning. Breakfast was delicious.
The girl's lips curved into a gentle smile that made Shizuka's chest tighten a little—it was the kind of fragile, innocent smile that made people want to protect her.
Then, the girl picked up a small notepad and handed it over. On the paper were written several math problems she couldn't solve.
Shizuka stood, walked over to the side, and pulled out a small whiteboard. She began to write out each step carefully.
The girl watched quietly. When she understood, she nodded; when she didn't, she shook her head slightly.
Most of the time, she managed to solve the problems on her own. Her self-study ability was remarkable.
Sometimes Shizuka thought that if gods truly existed, this must be their way of compensating her. Although she was hearing-impaired, she was brilliant—sharp, determined, and pure-hearted.
After finishing their little "class," Shizuka brought out a shogi set.
The girl had shown an interest in it the day before. She had already memorized the basic rules, so they began to play together.
Of course, in terms of skill, she was no match for Shizuka yet—but she didn't seem disappointed in the slightest.
In fact, she looked genuinely happy, recording the board positions after each loss and writing them carefully into her diary.
Watching her smile like that, Shizuka felt something warm stir inside her. She didn't even bother moving the next piece, her gaze drifting toward the window instead.
Outside, the sun was shining softly. The weather was calm and bright.
.....
Lunch Break – Sobu High School
By noon, the grounds had completely dried, and the sports clubs were back at their usual practice sessions.
Akira Fujimiya didn't go to the tennis club this time. Instead, he headed to the student council office.
Isshiki Iroha, as always, seemed to prefer spending her time in the Service Club room with Yukinoshita and Yui.
So, during lunch, Akira went on patrol around the campus with Meguri Shiromeguri.
Meguri had been deeply impressed by Akira's musical ability. In just a few hours that morning, he'd managed to reach a level nearly equal to hers on the guitar—an achievement that left her stunned.
After lunch, the two of them sat together to train again.
Meguri played first, performing a soft tune on her guitar.
The moment she finished, Akira picked up his instrument and flawlessly imitated her playing—every chord, every pause, even the slight imperfections.
Meguri stared at him, wide-eyed. His sound memory was incredible.
If it had only been skill, she could have called him a genius. But to replicate everything—including the mistakes—meant that Akira's sense was far beyond ordinary comprehension.
Having Akira beside her was like having a living mirror. He could instantly reflect her strengths and weaknesses, making it easy for her to improve.
He calmly pointed out her minor flaws one by one, and she noted each of them carefully.
After adjusting her technique and replaying the song, she noticed immediate progress.
Her improvement was so sharp that she laughed a little in disbelief.
"This… this is amazing," she murmured.
Akira smiled faintly. "Music is just pattern recognition, Meguri-senpai. Once you catch the rhythm behind it, everything flows naturally."
Meguri felt a faint warmth rise in her chest. His tone was calm, but his guidance was more effective than any professional instructor she'd ever met.
Even the best guitarists she'd seen at Hoshiyuu Agency didn't have Akira's ability to teach.
With each song they played together, both of them improved rapidly—Meguri's technique became more refined, and Akira's familiarity with musical expression deepened.
Before the lunch break ended, Meguri paused, her fingers hovering above the strings.
...
If you'd like to support me and read chapters in advance, feel free to check out my:
Patr**on.com/Zero0000683
Discord:- NmKxzWGEPf
.....
Bonus Chapter:-
4 Bonus chapter at 100 powerstone
6 Bonus Chapter at 150 powerstone
.....
Word Count — 1,524