At seven in the morning, sunlight had just begun climbing over the clouds, filtering through the sheer curtains into the hallway of Tsushima Kagami's house.
A faint trace of last night's party still lingered in the air, mingling with the scent of aromatic oils.
The whole house was so quiet that the only sound was the pendulum of the old clock in the living room, swinging back and forth.
Then a scream tore that peace to shreds.
"Aaaahhh... I'm going to be late!!"
Seika Ijichi bolted upright out of her covers, her pajama collar askew and her hair a tangled mess like a bird's nest.
Flailing, she grabbed the clothes she'd tossed aside the night before—still smelling faintly of alcohol—and yanked them on.
She didn't even notice she'd buttoned everything wrong.
Right beside her, the scream startled Sayuri upright in bed.
She instinctively clutched at her pounding heart.
Her first thought was: an earthquake?!
"Oh no, oh no, under the table—no wait, pillow over my head—"
Still half-asleep, Sayuri looked wildly around, already throwing off her blanket and getting ready to dive under the bed.
But after three or four seconds, the room hadn't so much as shaken, the ceiling hadn't come down, and outside the window the birds were singing as usual.
"...No earthquake, huh."
Sayuri rubbed her eyes and only then realized the scream had come from Seika, right beside her.
She yawned, wrapped herself in a blanket, and shuffled slowly over to the bed.
Seika was in a full panic, sweating buckets, one leg already through her skirt while the other hopped in place, her whole body wobbling as if she might topple over any second.
"Seika, what's wrong?"
Sayuri let out a relieved sigh from her false alarm and plopped down on the edge of the bed, her voice still rough with sleep.
Seika Ijichi glanced back at her, her tone both urgent and exasperated.
"Ugh, if I don't get up right now I'm going to be late for school!"
Sayuri glanced instinctively at the clock on the guest room wall.
The hour hand had only just reached seven, and the minute hand had barely moved.
"But it's only seven."
Sayuri blinked, saying it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"You could sleep another hour—the University of Tokyo's classes don't start that early."
She looked at Seika with a strange expression, as if getting up at seven were some kind of miracle.
Seika froze mid-dress and turned to stare at Sayuri.
Her look was a mix of speechlessness, envy, and just a hint of gritted-teeth resentment.
"Seriously..."
Seika took a deep breath.
"I'm not at the University of Tokyo like you, Sayuri."
"I go to Tokyo Metropolitan University. It takes over an hour by subway just to get there from here."
"And it's rush hour right now—the station's a madhouse, and I might not even be able to squeeze onto the train."
As she spoke, she retied her crooked bow, her hands moving with practiced ease.
Sayuri blinked, and it finally clicked.
Right—Seika's school wasn't in Bunkyo Ward, or even within the 23 wards.
It was out west, in Hachioji City.
From Bunkyo Ward, where Tsushima Kagami's house was, that meant crossing most of Tokyo—over an hour of commuting just one way.
"That sounds rough, Seika."
There was real sympathy in Sayuri's voice.
Seika Ijichi rolled her eyes and didn't bother replying.
She went back to wrestling with her hair.
She'd slept in a terrible position, and now a tuft of hair stuck straight up at the back of her head in the mirror, refusing to lie flat no matter how hard she pressed it down.
"What are you doing?"
"Aren't you about to be late?"
Sayuri asked.
"Huh? My hair's sticking up from sleep and I can't get it down."
Seika Ijichi answered without turning around.
"Ahaha, what are you even saying, Seika?"
"That cowlick on your head—Kagami says it looks just like one of those cone-shaped snack chips. It's always sticking up like that, isn't it?"
Sayuri teased.
Seika's hand, still trying to flatten the cowlick, suddenly stopped. She smacked her own head.
"Oh right, I'm so flustered I forgot."
"Who'd have thought the Seika who used to skip school would be this eager to go now?"
Sayuri crossed her arms and nodded slightly, looking thoroughly pleased with herself.
Just then, footsteps sounded in the hallway.
Kosaka Akane and Machida Sonoko appeared at the bedroom door, one after the other—clearly Seika's scream had woken them too.
Kosaka Akane's hair was fluffier than usual, like she hadn't had time to fix it.
Machida Sonoko looked a bit more put-together, though her eyes were still squinting, clearly not fully awake.
"What's going on? Who was yelling just now?"
Kosaka Akane yawned and leaned her head in to peek into the room.
"Seika's worried about being late."
Sayuri gave a quick explanation.
Machida Sonoko checked the clock, then looked at Seika's frantic scrambling, and couldn't help a small laugh.
"You've still got time. Don't rush—the more you rush, the more you'll forget."
No sooner had she said this than Yukinoshita Shizuku walked in.
She had already changed into her regular clothes and tied on a pale pink apron printed with cute panda heads, her hair falling loose over her shoulders.
She glanced over the four of them and smiled faintly.
"Since you're all up, come eat breakfast. It's ready in the dining room."
Machida Sonoko turned to look at Yukinoshita Shizuku, a little surprised.
"Don't you two not have morning classes today? Why are you up so early?"
Yukinoshita Shizuku shook her head gently, her smile soft.
"Everyone's staying here today, so I had to get up early to make breakfast. I couldn't send you all off on empty stomachs."
Hearing that, Sayuri straightened up from the doorframe, a smile in her eyes as she looked at Yukinoshita Shizuku.
"Shizuku's really starting to act like the lady of the house."
"I already am!"
Yukinoshita Shizuku insisted.
At that, Kosaka Akane and Machida Sonoko both turned to look at Sayuri, then both turned to look at Yukinoshita Shizuku, their expressions subtly shifting into a knowing "Oh!"
Yukinoshita Shizuku just smiled and turned to walk toward the bedroom door.
At the doorway, she tilted her head slightly, her tone carrying just the right hint of urging.
"Hurry up and get dressed, then come wash up and eat."
With that, her footsteps faded away down the hallway.
The four of them in the room exchanged glances.
Kosaka Akane spoke first, keeping her voice low.
"Shizuku's getting more composed by the day."
"Maybe that's just the confidence that comes with being the lady of the house?"
Machida Sonoko added quietly, unable to resist.
Sayuri shrugged, then for some reason found the corners of her mouth curling up.
"Heh, lady of the house, huh. I'd love to try being one myself."
"All right, all right, quit daydreaming."
Seika Ijichi grabbed her bag and bolted for the door.
"I'm going to wash my face first!"
The other three finally got moving too, each heading back to their own rooms to change and wash up.
For a while the hallway filled with footsteps and the rush of running water, and the whole house finally came alive.
By the time all four were dressed, washed, and made their way to the dining room—
Tsushima Kagami and Nayotake were already seated at the table.
Tsushima Kagami wore a dark set of loungewear, his hair looser than usual.
He was taking small sips of miso soup from a bowl.
Hearing footsteps, he looked up. His gaze swept over Sayuri first, then settled on Kosaka Akane behind her, and he gave a small nod.
"Good morning."
Nayotake sat beside him, a bowl of rice, a fried egg, and a small dish of pickles already set in front of her.
She looked up too at the noise, a faint smile on her face, and said softly to the four of them.
"Good morning."
"Good morning~"
The four of them replied almost in unison.
Sayuri pulled out a chair and sat down to a full Japanese breakfast.
The white rice steamed gently, and cubes of tofu and strips of seaweed floated in the miso soup.
The rolled omelet was sliced into neat pieces, with a small dish of natto and pickled cucumber on the side.
"Itadakimasu..."
Before the others had even picked up their chopsticks, Seika Ijichi was already shoveling food into her mouth.
Everyone else laughed and finally picked up their own.
As Kosaka Akane picked at her food, something occurred to her, and she looked up to ask.
"Oh right, where's Shizuka? I don't see her down here for breakfast."
Across the table, Yukinoshita Shizuku picked up a bit of side dish, chewed it slowly, swallowed, and only then answered with a smile.
"She drank way too much last night. She's still sleeping in."
"Neither of us has morning classes anyway."
Kosaka Akane nodded in understanding.
Hiratsuka Shizuka really had drunk a lot the night before—in the end, it took two people to help her up the stairs.
Kosaka Akane popped a piece of omelet into her mouth, chewed, swallowed, then looked at Yukinoshita Shizuku.
"We're heading to school in a bit, so we won't be able to take you two with us."
Yukinoshita Shizuku set down her teacup and shook her head.
"That's fine. We'll just take the subway ourselves this afternoon."
Tsushima Kagami glanced at her but said nothing, quietly finishing off his miso soup.
Just then, Seika Ijichi shot to her feet.
Her chair screeched sharply against the floor.
Her rice bowl was empty down to the last grain, and her omelet plate was clean too.
The speed was staggering.
"Thanks for the meal!"
Seika pressed her palms together and bowed quickly.
Then she grabbed her bag and dashed for the entryway, her slippers slapping against the wooden floor in a flurry.
"I'm going to be late, gotta go!"
Kosaka Akane and Machida Sonoko exchanged a glance and sighed in unison.
Kosaka Akane set down her chopsticks and stood up.
"It's still a bit of a walk to the station. Sonoko and I will walk Seika there."
"Seika, wait up, I'll walk with you to the station!"
Machida Sonoko called out toward the entryway and hurried after her.
Seika Ijichi was already putting on her shoes at the entryway, one foot in a loafer while the other hopped in place to keep her balance.
"Thanks, senpai."
"Come on, come on!"
Tsushima Kagami, still at the table, raised his voice a little toward the three of them.
"Be careful out there."
"Got it!"
Kosaka Akane waved without looking back, pushed open the door, and followed them out.
The moment the front door shut, the house grew noticeably quieter.
On the table, half a dish of pickles remained, along with two half-finished bowls of miso soup and the empty rice bowl Seika had left behind.
Yukinoshita Shizuku stood up and began clearing the empty plates and dishes from the table.
Tsushima Kagami finished his last bite of rice too, set down his chopsticks, and stood.
He walked to the kitchen sink to set his bowl down, but Yukinoshita Shizuku gently caught his hand.
"Wait."
Yukinoshita Shizuku took a cloth bento bag from the cupboard, pulled out a lunch box, and held it out to Tsushima Kagami with both hands.
The box was wrapped in a dark blue furoshiki, tied into a neat bow.
Tsushima Kagami took it, then leaned down and pressed a light kiss to her lips.
"I'm off, then."
"Be careful."
Yukinoshita Shizuku hummed in acknowledgment, saying nothing more.
Beside them, Sayuri watched it all, her shoulders hunching slightly.
She quietly shuffled a step closer to Nayotake and murmured in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"Guess they're past being embarrassed enough to hide it from us now?"
"I feel like we're kind of a third wheel here."
Nayotake turned to look at her, the corners of her mouth slowly curving up, and gave a solemn nod.
Sayuri: "..."
She'd expected Nayotake to brush it off with something polite like, "No, not at all."
Or maybe just smile faintly and say nothing.
Instead, Nayotake had just nodded outright, leaving her momentarily at a loss for how to react.
Yukinoshita Shizuku had clearly heard them, but she didn't turn around—she simply took two more lunch boxes from the cupboard and handed one each to Nayotake and Sayuri.
Sayuri took hers and looked down to find that even her own had been carefully wrapped.
The pale pink furoshiki was printed with tiny flowers.
Her voice came out exaggeratedly touched.
"I get one too? Shizuku, you're seriously my best friend!"
Yukinoshita Shizuku finally laughed, turning her head to look at Sayuri.
"Wash it clean when you're done and have Kagami bring it back."
"I promise I'll get it spotless!"
Sayuri puffed out her chest and struck a pledging pose.
Nayotake stood quietly to the side, cradling her own lunch box, a faint smile never leaving her lips.
The three of them changed shoes at the entryway.
As Tsushima Kagami bent to tie his laces, he caught sight of Yukinoshita Shizuku out of the corner of his eye, standing at the far end of the entryway with her hands folded in front of her, quietly watching them.
Sunlight slanted in through the kitchen window, the warm morning glow falling across her profile.
A good day, it seemed, really did start with a happy morning.
That was what Tsushima Kagami thought to himself.
"We're off."
Sayuri waved to Yukinoshita too.
"Mm, be careful."
The door closed.
The house finally fell completely quiet.
Yukinoshita Shizuku stood there a moment, let out a soft breath, and turned to head upstairs.
She came to Hiratsuka Shizuka's room and opened the door.
Hiratsuka Shizuka was curled up in a ball under the covers, only a tuft of hair peeking out.
"When you get up, heat up your own food and eat, Shizuka."
"I'm going to catch up on sleep. Don't bother me later."
"Got it, got it. You're noisy too, Shizuku."
Hiratsuka Shizuka grumbled, rolled over, and went back to sleep.
Yukinoshita Shizuku shook her head.
She went back to her own room, where the curtains were still drawn, the light dim and soft.
Yukinoshita Shizuku crept quietly to the bed, lifted a corner of the blanket, and slipped in.
The bed was still warm and cozy, the heat not yet fully faded.
She turned onto her side and closed her eyes; the pillow still carried a faint trace of Tsushima Kagami's scent.
Outside the window, Tokyo's morning had only just begun.
Noon, University of Tokyo.
Tsushima Kagami walked along the ginkgo-lined avenue, an empty lunch box in hand.
The morning sun had grown quite a bit stronger than it had been at dawn.
The campus was full of students hurrying toward the cafeteria or the convenience store.
They moved in scattered clusters, laughter and footsteps mixing together.
He turned into the building for the Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology.
The hallways inside were much cooler than outside.
He went up to the third floor, walked to Professor Kosaka's office door, and knocked twice.
"Come in."
Professor Kosaka's voice came from inside.
Tsushima Kagami pushed the door open and stepped in.
The office was small but tidy, the bookshelf along the wall packed with books in Japanese, English, and Chinese.
Some of the spines had faded, clearly from years of frequent use.
The south-facing window was half open, and a light breeze stirred the curtains.
A few documents lay spread across the desk, next to a cup of tea that had gone cold.
"Sit down."
Professor Kosaka took off his reading glasses and set them on the desk, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
Tsushima Kagami sat down in the chair across from the desk.
Professor Kosaka didn't rush to speak. Instead, he pulled a file from a stack at the corner of the desk and slid it across to him.
The document was bound, roughly ten-odd pages.
The cover bore the emblems of both the University of Tokyo and Yale University, with a title printed in English.
"Take a look at this first."
Professor Kosaka said.
Tsushima Kagami picked up the document and opened it.
The first page was a formal notice.
In essence, the University of Tokyo planned to send a team of professors leading a group of students to Yale University in the United States for a three-week academic exchange.
It would include academic seminars, joint research projects, and campus visits.
The Faculty of Letters would send three professors, including Professor Kosaka, to lead the group.
A number of doctoral and master's students would accompany them.
He kept turning the pages. The next few covered the detailed schedule.
The last few pages listed the application requirements and process, including language proficiency, a research proposal, and letters of recommendation.
When he finished the last page and closed the document, setting it back on the desk, Professor Kosaka finally spoke with a smile.
"So, interested in coming along to take a look at Yale?"
____
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