Watching them, Tsushima Kagami suddenly remembered something.
"Oh right, why don't you all come to my place for dinner tonight?"
"We already agreed on that ages ago. You're only remembering now?"
Yukinoshita Shizuku gave him a helpless look.
"Oh right, I forgot."
Kagami scratched his head.
He'd been busy with committee work this whole stretch of time.
But today it was finally over completely, and from here on the professors would take over.
He basically had nothing left to do.
"So once we're done looking around, do we go straight back? Or somewhere else first?"
"The supermarket first, to buy groceries."
Shizuku pulled the notebook she always carried out of her bag and flipped it open.
"I made a list. There are a lot of us, so we'll need to buy more."
"Komoe-sensei, Yan-sensei, and Kinue will be coming tonight too, and Kikuri and PA-ko will be tagging along as well."
"So that's twelve people?"
"Add Kagami and that makes thirteen."
The corner of Seika Ijichi's mouth twitched.
"Can your living room even fit that many?"
"My living room's pretty big. It'll be fine if we squeeze in."
Shizuku said with a smile.
"If worse comes to worst we can just sit out in the yard — the weather's nice enough."
"There's a pretty big yard, you know."
As the hosts, Kagami, Sayuri, and Nayotake finished showing everyone around the University of Tokyo campus, and the whole group took the subway to a supermarket near Kanda Station.
Since it was the weekend, the supermarket was fairly crowded.
Shizuku pushed the cart at the front, checking off items against her list one by one as she loaded them in.
"Vegetables, meat, seasonings, drinks..."
She read off the list as she gathered everything.
Hiratsuka Shizuka followed behind her, handling anything on the high shelves.
Sayuri and Nayotake picked out strawberries in the produce section.
Kosaka Akane and Machida Sonoko wandered the drinks aisle and ended up grabbing two bottles of red wine and a few cans of beer.
Seika Ijichi stood in the snack aisle, tossing several bags of chips into the cart with a completely flat expression.
"Seika, can you actually finish all those chips?"
Kagami walked over and glanced at the pile.
"Kikuri and PA-ko like them too."
"Heh, since you're treating, I won't hold back."
Seika Ijichi said with a grin.
Kagami chuckled and grabbed two more bags for her.
By checkout, the cart was piled up like a small mountain.
The cashier scanned everything briskly and read out a total that was nothing to sneeze at.
Kagami took out his wallet, paid, and they all carried the bags out of the store.
By the time they got back to the new place in Sendagi, it was already four in the afternoon.
They ran right into Tsukuyomi Komoe, Douraku Utage, and Hayase Kinue, who were circling in their car looking for parking.
Hiroi Kikuri and PA-ko got out of Hayase Kinue's car as well.
With everyone finally gathered, they walked into the yard together.
"So big! So pretty!"
The koi in the pond startled at her voice and scattered.
But they soon regrouped, waiting to be fed.
The cherry tree in the yard had already shed its blossoms.
A winding path of bluestone slabs led toward the house, and a stone lantern stood quietly by the pond, as if watching over this small world.
"This is even nicer than the photos."
Kosaka Akane stood in the yard, looking around, genuinely impressed.
Machida Sonoko said with a smile.
"This size is just right — comfortable to live in."
Seika Ijichi walked a lap around the yard, then stopped under the cherry tree and reached out to touch a low-hanging branch.
"Having a yard this big in a location like this — that's really something."
"Once you two have kids, they'll be able to play right out here in the yard."
Kosaka Akane said suddenly.
The moment the words left her mouth, everyone's eyes turned as one toward Shizuku and Kagami.
Shizuku's face turned red instantly.
"I—I'll go take the bags inside first!"
She hurriedly picked up the bags on the ground and walked inside without looking back.
"Don't just stand around in the yard, everyone — come on in and take a look!"
Kagami, unfazed, smoothed things over with a laugh.
"Though come to think of it, it's still nothing compared to a big estate like the Kosaka house."
"Senpai, your family's yard is the real deal when it comes to size."
"If you wanted a yard that big, Akane would probably be happy to arrange it."
Machida Sonoko said with a grin.
"Want to come sleep over at my place while you're at it?"
Sonoko added, her tone suggestive.
Kagami burst out laughing.
"Then I'll definitely bring Shizuku along."
Kosaka Akane and Machida Sonoko exchanged a glance, both laughing, and let the matter drop.
Sayuri grabbed Nayotake's hand and bounded into the house.
Hiratsuka Shizuka trailed behind, her expression a little complicated.
Inside, Tsukuyomi Komoe, Douraku Utage, and Hayase Kinue were helping Shizuku sort the groceries into the fridge and cupboards.
Komoe stood on her toes to put a bag of vegetables into the fridge, then turned around with a smile.
"This is a lovely house, Kagami-kun. You've got a good eye."
"Shizuku picked it out."
"She redid the yard too."
"And the interior decoration was all Shizuku's doing personally."
Kagami glanced at her.
"I mostly just handled the paying."
"Money matters too, you know?"
Douraku Utage leaned against the kitchen doorframe, arms crossed.
"Still, getting an old house like this fixed up so nicely — Shizuku clearly put a lot of thought into it."
"It's nothing, really..."
For once, Shizuku was modest about it.
Hayase Kinue stood in the living room, gazing up at the high ceiling and thick beams, eyes full of admiration.
"I always figured Japanese-style houses with small courtyards were dim and damp with bad lighting. I didn't expect it to be this bright and open."
"That was actually one of the things that drew me to it when I was house-hunting."
Shizuku walked over, smiling.
"The house faces south, and the living room windows are large, so the natural light is especially good."
"And the ventilation's good too — it should stay cool in summer."
"That's lovely."
Hayase Kinue nodded, then suddenly remembered something.
"Sorry to intrude."
"What a beautiful house!"
PA-ko's voice followed right after.
The two of them changed into slippers and stepped into the living room; Hiroi Kikuri was carrying two bottles of sake.
"Brought some sake with us — hope you don't mind?"
"You could've just come — no need to bring anything."
Kagami said with a smile, taking the bottles from her.
"Go on and sit down, dinner will be ready in a bit."
Once everything was put away, they finally started touring the house.
Besides the spacious living and dining rooms, the first floor had a study that doubled as a reception room, plus two guest rooms.
The study's window also looked out onto the yard, and the bookshelves already held some books Shizuku had brought from her old place.
The group laughed and chatted their way upstairs.
The second floor had three large bedrooms, all facing south, each with excellent lighting.
The master bedroom was the biggest, with a walk-in closet and en-suite bathroom.
The other two bedrooms were a bit smaller but still roomy, with windows looking out over the neighborhood and, in the distance, the greenery of Ueno Park.
Above that was a large terrace with a wooden deck, a few potted plants, and a set of outdoor furniture.
Standing on the terrace in the breeze, everyone relaxed completely.
"This terrace is perfect for summer barbecues."
Seika Ijichi wore a rare look of satisfaction.
"We should come do a barbecue here sometime."
"You don't mind, do you, Shizuku?"
"Of course you're welcome."
Shizuku said with a smile.
Back on the second floor, Sayuri suddenly noticed something.
She peeked into the two smaller bedrooms, then looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka, then at Nayotake.
"Wait a minute!"
She hurried to the doorway of one bedroom and spotted personal belongings inside.
Then she went to the other bedroom's doorway and found equally familiar items there.
Her eyes went wide.
"Not fair!"
Sayuri turned around, hands on her hips, glaring furiously at Hiratsuka Shizuka and Nayotake.
"Fine, Nayotake I get, but why has Shizuka moved in too?!"
Hiratsuka Shizuka scratched her cheek awkwardly, eyes drifting away.
"What are you talking about, Sayuri... I don't have a place of my own in Tokyo, and I'm at the same university as Shizuku, so obviously it makes more sense for me to live here."
"And I do pay rent!"
she added quickly.
"Besides, Nayotake doesn't stay here every day — she goes back to her own place a lot."
"So don't go jumping to conclusions~"
Hiratsuka Shizuka looked around at everyone's faces.
Every single one of them wore the exact same look — "yeah, right, sure I believe you."
Sayuri didn't care about any of that. She ran up to Kagami and clung to his arm, shaking it hard.
"I don't care! I want to live here too!"
"Well then I'll have to ask your parents."
Kagami said with a laugh.
Sayuri froze mid-motion.
Her parents would never agree to that.
"Honestly, who lives at home once they're already in college!"
Sayuri grumbled, pouting hard.
"Sonoko and I both live at home too, you know."
Kosaka Akane said, trying to comfort her with a smile.
"There are upsides to living at home — you save money, and there's someone looking after you."
"But..."
Sayuri still wasn't satisfied.
She glanced at Hiratsuka Shizuka, who awkwardly looked away.
Then at Nayotake, who turned her gaze aside with a blank expression.
"No way. At the very least I'm staying here tonight!"
Sayuri declared.
"That's fine, though we're a bit short on rooms — we'll have to squeeze."
Kagami said with a smile.
Only then did Sayuri let it go, though she shot Hiratsuka Shizuka one last resentful look and muttered under her breath.
"I'm moving in here eventually too."
Hiratsuka Shizuka pretended not to hear, turning to look out the window instead.
Standing off to the side, Shizuku watched the whole scene, then secretly pinched Kagami on the small of his back.
"Ahaha, well, now that we've seen the whole house, let's get started on dinner."
Kagami hurriedly led everyone away from the scene of contention.
With the tour finished, everyone split up tasks to prepare dinner.
The kitchen wasn't small, but there was no way all thirteen of them could fit in at once.
In the end, Shizuku, Hayase Kinue, and Tsukuyomi Komoe took charge of the main cooking.
Douraku Utage and Hiratsuka Shizuka helped out as assistants, while everyone else washed and cut vegetables and set the table.
Kagami was assigned to arrange the tables and chairs.
Seika Ijichi and Hiroi Kikuri helped him carry the spare tables and chairs, and after some effort the three of them finally got everything set up.
"That should do it."
Standing in the middle of the living room, Kagami looked at the long table and chairs and nodded, satisfied.
The three of them went back inside, where the smell of cooking was already drifting from the kitchen.
"That smells great — what's cooking?"
Kagami leaned over to look.
"Beef stew, fried chicken, potato salad, miso soup..."
Shizuku recited the menu while turning the beef over in the pot.
"Plus the tamagoyaki Komoe-sensei's making, and the chikuzen-ni Kinue's making."
"That's a lot of food — can we finish it all?"
"You're underestimating everyone's appetite."
Shizuku said without even looking up.
"Fair point."
Kagami suddenly thought of Nayotake's appetite.
This past month of living together, he'd seen plenty of proof of that.
Sayuri helped PA-ko set out bowls and chopsticks in the living room, Nayotake and Machida Sonoko mixed drinks, and Kosaka Akane and Seika Ijichi unpacked the snacks onto plates.
The whole house buzzed with energy, like a festival.
"This feeling is really nice."
Komoe said wistfully while frying the tamagoyaki.
"It really is. Seeing young people all together like this just makes you happy."
Kinue said with a smile.
"You're plenty young yourself, Kinue."
Utage said while chopping vegetables.
"Exactly, exactly."
Komoe nodded repeatedly.
The three of them exchanged glances and burst out laughing.
Dinner officially started at half past six.
Everyone sat around the long table, plates piled high in front of each of them.
Kagami raised his glass.
"Thanks for coming today, everyone. This place is our home base in Tokyo from now on, so feel free to drop by for a free meal anytime."
"Cheers!"
A dozen-odd glasses clinked together with a bright sound.
Beer, sake, juice, oolong tea — all sorts of drinks sloshed in the glasses, some of it splashing out onto the table and hands, but nobody minded.
"Let's dig in!"
At the word, chopsticks flew from every direction.
"This beef stew is amazing!"
"The tamagoyaki's fantastic too!"
"The chikuzen-ni is really flavorful — Kinue's skills are the real deal."
"Oh please, it's just good ingredients."
Everyone ate and chatted, and the conversation flowed easily.
Sayuri sat next to Nayotake, constantly piling food onto her plate.
Hiratsuka Shizuka sat across from Kagami, took a sip of beer, and suddenly asked.
"Kagami, how's university life at the University of Tokyo treating you?"
"I've only had a week of classes, so it's hard to say."
Kagami thought about it.
"But the professors at the University of Tokyo really are impressive. Half of what they cover, I have to go home and look up afterward."
"Well, of course."
Hiratsuka Shizuka nodded.
"What about you? How are the classes at Keio?"
"Not bad. Way more freedom than high school."
She took another sip of beer.
"Though some classes are pretty boring. At least I ended up in the same class as Shizuku."
At the far end of the table, Komoe, Utage, and Kinue ate quietly, chiming in with a comment now and then.
"Komoe-sensei, how are the kids in your class doing?"
Shizuku asked.
"They're all doing fine. Though a few of them are a bit too mischievous."
Komoe said with a laugh.
"Still, watching them grow up day by day is really rewarding."
"What about you, Yan-sensei?"
"Don't even get me started on my students — each one causes more trouble than the last."
Utage sighed.
"But I'm used to it by now."
"Being a teacher is never easy."
Kinue said, sighing with feeling.
"It's true, but seeing your students succeed makes all the hardship worth it."
The three of them clinked glasses and each took a drink.
Dinner lasted nearly two hours.
By the time the table was mostly cleared, the moon had risen high overhead.
The yard was quiet, with only the occasional plop of a koi leaping out of the pond.
The cherry tree swayed gently in the night breeze, a few stray petals drifting down now and then.
"So full~"
Sayuri leaned back in her chair, rubbing her stomach.
"We ate so much."
Hiratsuka Shizuka cracked open another can of beer, tipped her head back for a long swig, then let out a satisfied breath.
"Days like this are really nice."
"Yeah."
Kagami sat beside her, holding a cup of tea.
"It'd be great if every day could be like this."
"If we gathered every day, you'd get sick of it too, Kagami."
"I don't think so."
Kagami shook his head.
"A little liveliness is good."
"Or is the gathering just an excuse, and you've got other things on your mind?"
She glanced at him with a smile but said nothing, just took another sip of beer.
"Looks like you're drunk."
Kagami said, standing up.
"Then carry me to my room."
Hiratsuka Shizuka said, holding her arms out for a carry.
"Then Sayuri would really catch us red-handed."
"I bet Sayuri's dying to bunk with you tonight!"
"What do you take me for!"
Kagami looked at her.
"Hey, aren't you basically a stud stallion?"
Hiratsuka Shizuka said, grinning.
"Now I know you're really drunk."
Kagami watched her start acting shameless, at a loss for words.
After dinner, everyone cleared the dishes together and moved the party to the living room.
They sat in a circle and started a game.
"What should we play?"
PA-ko asked.
"Truth or Dare?"
Sayuri suggested.
"Too cliché."
Seika Ijichi vetoed.
"Cards then. Losers drink."
Hiroi Kikuri pulled a deck of cards from her bag.
"Isn't that basically a reward for you?"
PA-ko and Seika Ijichi laughed beside her.
"Then if Kikuri loses she doesn't get to drink."
"That's not fair!"
"I'm fine with that."
Utage was the first to agree.
So they started playing cards.
Whoever lost had to drink a cup of alcohol, and after a few rounds several faces were already flushed pink.
Hiratsuka Shizuka had bad luck, losing three hands in a row and drinking three cups of beer.
"Shizuka, can you handle it?"
Kosaka Akane asked with a laugh.
"I can handle it just fine!"
Her words came out a little slurred.
"Deal again!"
Kagami reached over and took the cup away from her.
"Any more and you'll really be drunk."
"I'm not drunk... give it back...!"
She reached for it, but Kagami blocked her.
"You've got class tomorrow."
"...fine."
For once, Hiratsuka Shizuka gave in, leaning against the wall and watching the game through half-closed eyes.
Shizuku sat next to Kagami, quietly watching him play his cards.
She hadn't been drinking; she held a cup of hot tea instead, occasionally murmuring "play this one" or "not that one."
"Shizuku, you're amazing — how do you know what he's going to play?"
Sayuri asked, astonished.
"Because I've watched his habits enough times."
Shizuku said flatly.
"Whenever he's got a straight, he plays his low cards first. When he has strong cards, he hesitates instead."
"You just gave away all my secrets."
Kagami said, looking at her helplessly.
"You've already lost anyway."
Shizuku pressed her lips together in a small smile, the corners of her eyes curving prettily.
Time slipped by amid the laughter and chatter.
By the time everyone had worn themselves out, it was already eleven at night.
"We should get going."
Komoe checked the time and stood up.
"It's getting late, and I've got work tomorrow."
"Take care on the way home."
Kagami and Shizuku saw the three teachers, along with Hiroi Kikuri and PA-ko, to the door.
"Today was so much fun. Thanks for having us."
Hayase Kinue said, holding Shizuku's hand with a smile.
"You should all come by often."
"We will."
Utage clapped Kagami on the shoulder.
"I will."
After seeing off Kinue's group, only the eight-strong university crowd remained in the house.
The rooms were just barely enough to go around.
"Let's sort out the rooms."
"I could squeeze in with Kagami."
Sayuri said, raising her hand.
Shizuku shot her a look.
Sayuri quickly lowered her hand.
"Hehe, just kidding."
"The two guest rooms downstairs — one for Akane and Sonoko, and one for Seika and Sayuri."
"Works for me."
Kosaka Akane nodded.
"But Sayuri, you're sharing a room with Seika, that okay?"
"No problem!"
Sayuri and Seika both agreed readily.
By this point nobody had the energy left to keep chatting.
Everyone headed off to their own rooms.
As Hiratsuka Shizuka climbed the stairs and passed the master bedroom shared by Kagami and Shizuku, her steps paused for a moment.
In the downstairs guest room, Kosaka Akane and Machida Sonoko lay side by side.
"Akane, do you think Shizuka and Nayotake..."
Sonoko trailed off.
"I know."
Kosaka Akane said softly.
"We're falling behind."
"True enough."
Sonoko fell silent for a moment.
"I wonder how they even found the opportunity."
"Do you think Kagami made the first move?"
"Doesn't seem like he'd have the nerve~"
"True, that."
Sonoko laughed too.
"Honestly, being that upstanding isn't always a good thing."
Kosaka Akane rolled over, staring at the ceiling.
"Maybe we should go ask Nayotake for advice."
"Yeah."
Neither of them said anything more, and the room went quiet.
In the other guest room, Seika Ijichi was already asleep, her breathing even.
But Sayuri tossed and turned, unable to sleep, her mind stuck on the rooms she'd seen belonging to Hiratsuka Shizuka and Nayotake.
"Maybe I should go ask those two how they got past Shizuku."
she muttered under her breath, then closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep.
In the master bedroom upstairs.
Kagami came out after his shower to find Shizuku making the bed.
"Thanks for all your work today."
Kagami wrapped his arms around her from behind.
"It was fine."
Shizuku's hands paused for a moment before she went on smoothing the sheets.
"It's nice with everyone around, all this liveliness."
"You really don't feel tired?"
"A little bit."
Shizuku admitted honestly.
"But I'm happy."
"Good, then."
Kagami rested his chin on her shoulder and nuzzled her hair.
"Let's invite them over more often."
"Mm."
"Let's sleep — we've got an early start tomorrow."
"Good night."
Kagami turned off the light and lay down beside her.
In the darkness, Shizuku's hand reached over and took hold of his.
Fingers interlaced, palms warm.
____
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