The morning arrived on a gentle, familiar fragrance that slowly coaxed Tsushima Kagami's eyes open.
The first thing he saw was Yukinoshita Shizuku, close enough that he could have counted her lashes — her large, dewy eyes blinking up at him with quiet curiosity.
"Morning, Shizuku."
"Morning."
"Have you been awake long?"
"Not that long."
"Then why didn't you get up?"
"I didn't want to wake you."
It was only after hearing her answer that Kagami finally registered his own posture — he was still holding her. His arm was still wrapped around her from behind.
"Sorry."
He started to pull his hand back — and immediately found it caught, pinned firmly in place by her arm.
Kagami blinked.
He looked at her. Shizuku looked back at him with an expression of complete, angelic innocence, and tilted her head.
"What's wrong?"
"I can't get out of bed if you don't let go of my hand."
"Do you want to get out of bed right now?"
She shifted closer on the pillow, closing the already-small gap between them.
"Not particularly. I thought you did."
"I don't want to get up yet either."
As she spoke, he felt the arm holding his hand squeeze — just slightly — tighter.
Then she pressed her forehead against his chest.
"Kagami... are you real?"
"Of course I'm real."
The question was so disarmingly childlike that it surprised a laugh out of him.
Shizuku raised her head and looked up at him again.
"Kagami... will you disappear one day? Out of nowhere?"
"I'm not going to disappear."
"Really?"
"Really, really."
"Then hold me tighter. Like you did last night."
She was looking up at him with the full, unguarded pout of a small girl asking for something she knew she'd get — and Kagami let out a quiet sigh. He threaded his arm back around her and drew her in.
Shizuku smiled and pressed closer, pulling him tighter in return.
And in the exact moment she did — Kagami's mind went blank with alarm. Something soft had pressed against him from below. He immediately tried to pull back.
At the same instant, Shizuku felt something press against her lower abdomen. On pure reflex, her hand slipped free from his and began to reach downward.
Kagami's pupils dilated. He scrambled to free his own hand, trying to intercept — and in the same breath, shouted:
"Don't—!"
Shizuku's hand closed around—
— — —
In the living room, Tsushima Kagami and Yukinoshita Shizuku sat across from each other at the dining table in silence, working through their freshly made sandwiches.
Yukino sat nearby, taking a bite of her cat food and then looking up at the two of them, sensing that the morning atmosphere was distinctly unusual.
"So..."
It was Kagami who broke the silence first.
Shizuku looked up at whatever he was about to say — and her face went immediately, blazingly red. She felt her cheeks burning and quickly dropped her gaze back down to the table.
"What... what is it?"
"Kenta called a few days ago. We made plans to hang out today at noon."
"I'll be spending the night at his place."
"So you'll be on your own today."
Shizuku listened, then reached over for the teapot and poured a cup of hot tea, which she set in front of Kagami.
"Alright. I understand."
"Thanks."
He accepted the cup and took a sip, then continued.
"There's one more thing."
"Go ahead."
Shizuku picked up another cup and poured one for herself.
"Well..."
"You know how things can get a little... inconvenient sometimes. So I've decided to move out. Tomorrow morning, on my way back from Kenta's, I'm going to start looking at places."
The hand holding the teapot trembled — barely perceptibly — and then went still again.
Her expression didn't change. She set the teapot down, raised her teacup, took a calm sip of hot tea, and looked at him.
"Alright."
"That's... it? Nothing you want to say?"
He'd been bracing himself — after yesterday's emotional upheaval, he'd worried this might not land well. So her muted reaction actually let him breathe a little easier.
Shizuku looked at him, then tilted her head with a small smile.
"What would you like me to say?"
"'Kagami-kun, please don't move out! I'll do anything!'"
"Like this?"
As she said it, she pressed her palms together in a pleading gesture, her large eyes turned on him in an expression of beseeching earnestness.
"Ah — well, not quite like that."
"Anyway. That's the situation."
Kagami scratched his cheek with a slightly awkward laugh.
"Moving out will be better for me too, actually. I won't have to think about what I'm wearing around the house anymore."
"No more hanging out laundry for two people."
"No more fighting you for the bathroom."
Shizuku began to list, one by one, all the benefits of Kagami moving out — her tone perfectly even, almost conversational.
Kagami laughed.
"Since you have no objections, I'll go pack a few things and head out to meet Kenta."
And with that, he promptly retreated to his room.
Left alone at the dining table, Shizuku sat for a moment, slightly at a loss.
Mrs. Yukinoshita had actually told her quietly that night — that Kagami was planning to move out.
But she had refused to think about it. She had assumed it would at least happen gradually, after the new semester started — that there would still be some time left.
She hadn't imagined he would be in this much of a hurry. As though he couldn't wait to be gone.
I've been doing all the housework. I adjusted the cooking whenever he said something didn't taste right. What else is he dissatisfied with?
It's like I've been mistreating him or something.
Lost in her thoughts, she startled when Yukino suddenly leapt onto her lap.
She looked down, smiled, and reached out to pet her.
"Yukino, you're not going to be heartless and leave me like he is, are you?"
She gathered Yukino up and pressed her soft, warm weight against her face.
— — —
Chiyoda Ward. Toranoana.
After wandering around Akihabara for a while, Tsushima Kagami and Yamada Kenta made their way inside the Toranoana store.
Before online platforms like DMM and DLsite had emerged to dominate the market, Toranoana had been one of Japan's largest and most authoritative doujinshi distribution and retail outlets. Many doujinshi artists consigned their work there for sale. The store also maintained the 'Toranoana Rankings' — a reliable barometer for tracking the trends and currents of the doujinshi world at any given moment.
Beyond doujinshi, the store also carried commercially produced merchandise, discs, novels, art books, and other ACG-adjacent goods tied to anime, manga, and games.
And then, of course — the most important section of all. The adults-only floor.
The two of them rode the elevator up to that floor now.
By regulation, any floor like this was off-limits to anyone under eighteen, and purchases were meant to require age verification. In practice, however, the steady foot traffic made checking every single customer essentially impossible — and plenty of minors lingered there freely. At the register, unless a customer looked obviously underage at a glance, no one typically asked for ID unprompted either.
"So, Kenta — the favour you needed was just... buying this?"
The two of them were standing in front of a row of display cases stocked with adult pleasure products — each packaged with a different 2D anime girl illustration.
Kagami gestured at the display and looked at Kenta.
Toranoana's adult section, beyond ACG merchandise, also carried a wide assortment of adult goods.
"Don't point."
Kenta noticed the other customers nearby stifling amused smiles at the two of them and hastily pushed Kagami's hand down, mortified.
"You could just buy it yourself. Plenty of people who obviously aren't eighteen have already walked up and paid for theirs."
Kagami looked over at him.
Kenta mumbled, fidgeting.
"It's just... embarrassing."
"You can sit through an entire NTR doujin putting yourself in the cuckold's shoes without batting an eye, but this is where you draw the line?"
"Summon that NTR spirit of yours."
"Ah, right."
"The cuckold doesn't exactly have a lot of spirit, does he."
Kagami looked at Kenta and offered the correction with a straight face.
Kenta's face went a deep shade of red.
"That's incredibly rude."
"I have been working on myself, you know. I've even been reading some pure-love stuff recently."
"So we are men of pure hearts, then!"
"Don't lump me in with you."
Kagami browsed the display, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
"Your height alone means the staff won't doubt you for a second, Kagami-kun."
"So please — I'm begging you."
"I even managed to get my hands on a copy of Xuanyayi-sensei's Inorganic Girl to give to you as a gift. That should count for something."
"Help me out!"
Kenta pressed his palms together and bowed repeatedly.
"Fine. Which one do you want?"
"That one."
Kenta pointed. Kagami followed his finger.
[Sailor Uniform-chan!]
"Is this one any good?"
Kagami picked it up and dropped it into the shopping basket, then looked over at Kenta.
"A friend said it was really something."
"Yeah?"
Kagami glanced at him, then started scanning the other styles on display.
He'd always vaguely meant to buy one of these to try out, but one thing or another had always gotten in the way. He hadn't expected so many varieties to already exist this late in the nineties.
Since he was already here — maybe he should pick one up for himself as well.
After all, once he found a new place and had it to himself...
Hmm. Though thinking about being alone actually makes it feel a bit lonely. I suppose I should find some kind of hobby.
Decision made. Starting today, he was going to become a man of refined solitary hobbies.
He picked out one whose packaging illustration appealed to his particular tastes and dropped it in the basket alongside Kenta's.
"You're buying one too, Kagami-kun?"
"Well, you were talking it up so much, I got curious."
"I knew we were kindred spirits!"
Kenta clapped him on the shoulder with the profound satisfaction of a man who had found his people.
"Right, let's grab some supplementary material while we're at it."
Together, they browsed and selected a few usable doujinshi. Then Kagami picked up the basket and joined the queue behind the other customers.
Stepping back out of Toranoana, Kenta let out a long, relieved exhale.
He had finally, triumphantly, acquired his [Sailor Uniform-chan].
Kagami turned to him.
"Where to next?"
Kenta thought about it.
"Let's pick up some snacks."
"My mom's making dinner — we'll eat at home."
"Then tonight we play Sony PlayStation!"
"I bought a bunch of good versus games!"
"A duel between real men!"
Kagami nodded, smiling.
"I'm looking forward to it."
— — —
That evening. The Yukinoshita house.
Yukinoshita Shizuku plated the dishes she had just finished cooking and carried them one by one to the dining table.
When she returned to the kitchen counter and wiped her hands on her apron, she reached for Tsushima Kagami's pink rice bowl — his bowl — and began to scoop rice into it with the paddle.
She piled the rice high, then pressed it down gently with the paddle and smiled at the result.
"Kagami, dinner's ready."
The words were already out before she caught herself.
Right. Kagami had already left.
Shizuku shook her head. She covered the rice cooker — which she had cooked enough rice for two in — and carried the bowl she had prepared for him to the table and sat down.
She looked at the table. Clearly enough food for two people. She sat there and stared at nothing in particular.
After dinner and a bath, Shizuku came out of the bathroom in her pajamas.
The path from the bathroom happened to take her past Kagami's room. She stopped.
One hand resting on the doorframe, she stood there for a long moment — and then slowly went inside.
She walked to the bed and picked up the haori still lying there — the one that had covered them both last night.
She ran her fingers gently over the lining. It still felt warm, somehow. Like the warmth of the two of them hadn't entirely left it yet.
She thought of his expression this morning — how he had looked more flustered and embarrassed than she was — and the corners of her mouth curved up. She raised the haori and pressed it against her cheeks, closed her eyes, and slowly moved her face against it, as though she could still feel through the fabric the warmth of being held against him last night.
After a long while she opened her eyes. Her expression softened into something wistful. She began to set the haori back down — and then stopped.
She picked it up again, brought it to her nose, and breathed in deeply, as though she were drawing every last trace of his scent into herself. Only when she was satisfied did she drape it over her own shoulders — and then drifted over to his writing desk. The desk where he sat every night.
She ran her fingertips slowly over every corner of the surface. Then she pulled the chair out and sat down.
She rested her elbows on the desk, cupped her face in both hands, and stared out the window at the night.
"Mrow~"
Yukino leapt up onto the desk and nuzzled her cheek against Shizuku's affectionately.
Shizuku came back to herself, smiled, and reached up to pet her — then closed the window, which had been left open a crack for ventilation.
Yukino had never been the sort of cat to bolt for an open window or balcony the way other cats might. But out of habit, both Kagami and Shizuku were careful to close the windows whenever they were away.
"Yukino, if Kagami moves out..."
"Will you go with him, or will you stay here with me?"
She stroked Yukino's smooth fur as she asked. Whether Yukino understood or not, she simply went on rubbing herself contentedly against Shizuku's hand.
"I'll take that as a yes, you're staying with me."
Shizuku laughed and scooped Yukino into her arms.
Almost immediately, Yukino started batting persistently at the handle of Kagami's desk drawer with her paw, nudging it open a fraction.
"Naughty."
"Scratch it up and someone's paying for the damage."
Shizuku tapped Yukino's paw lightly, then moved to push the drawer shut — and, as if guided by some instinct she couldn't explain, pulled it open instead.
Inside, she found the Pilot fountain pen she had given him — still nestled in the original case it had come with.
Most people discarded a pen case the moment they started using the pen — it was usually just thrown out with the packaging. She picked up the case, opened it slowly, and looked at the pen lying inside. It was pristine. Clearly well cared-for, still looking new.
She smiled faintly.
Honestly. Why are you being so careful with it?
She closed the case and set it back in its place, then looked around to see what else he kept in his drawer.
Drawing paper. Art supplies. Manuscript paper. Textbooks. Magazines. And—
A video tape, pushed to the very back of the drawer.
She reached in and pulled it out, curious.
It looked like it was from the Kamakura trip. She remembered — after they returned to Chiba from summer vacation, he had spent a good stretch of time running off to the electronics district, saying he needed to do some editing.
She adjusted the haori over her shoulders and, still holding Yukino, carried the tape out to the living room.
The VCR on the shelf below the television happened to be compatible with this type of tape. She crouched down, opened the cassette slot, slid the tape in, and the machine swallowed it with a soft mechanical hum as the slot closed.
Shizuku stood, switched on the television, used the remote to change to the VCR input, and then settled onto the sofa with the haori around her shoulders and Yukino in her arms.
After a moment, the grey-black screen flickered to life.
[Is it recording?]
The camera was pointed directly at Tsushima Kagami's face — a close-up of him peering into the lens, apparently fiddling with the camcorder in what looked like a selfie attempt.
Shizuku pressed her hand over her mouth, laughing quietly at the clueless expression on his face.
Then, apparently satisfied the recording had started, Kagami stepped back from the lens. He turned his back to the camera. His right hand covered half his face dramatically. He turned back around, left hand extended, pointing straight at the lens.
[Shizuku, you're watching this right now, aren't you!]
[Well then — allow me to reveal to you the truth of the world!]
[This is how Shizuku looks to everyone else!]
The footage cut — and began playing a rapid montage of all the stonefaced, unsmiling expressions of Shizuku that Kagami had secretly caught on camera in everyday life.
It ran for about ten seconds. Then the footage cut back to Kagami.
[Ha! What a shame — because with me, Shizuku is completely different~]
[If you can handle it, keep watching the video I left for you!]
The screen went black again. A countdown appeared.
3.....
2....
1....
An unfamiliar but beautiful melody began to play.
The screen brightened — and there was the footage. A green-painted train had just rolled past. The figure in the frame stood with her back to the camera, gazing out toward the sunset over the sea. Then she turned — and smiled, bright and sweet, straight into the lens.
It was Shizuku, at the crossing in front of Kamakura High School. The shot Kagami had captured of her.
And then the memories came rushing in, wave after wave.
On the train to Kamakura—
[So where is Shizuku-chan headed, dressed like that today?]
[Kamakura.]
[A trip?]
[Yes.]
Inside the Enoshima Line carriage—
[I am — I am not scared of heights! I never said anything about heights!]
[How much longer do we have to ride this?]
[About ten more minutes.]
[I want to get off.]
Enoshima Aquarium—
[You didn't say Skana~]
[...Skana~]
Shichiri Beach—
[It'd be perfect with a dress and sandals.]
[Honestly. You should be grateful I even agreed to grant three wishes in a lifetime. And now you want more?]
Looking for an open room late at night—
[Kagami, I can't walk anymore.]
[Then I'll carry you.]
The Enoshima Sea Candle at night—
[Kagami, look, look.]
[I'm looking.]
Shizuku watched the screen, smiling as the images matched her memories one by one.
So I could smile this freely when I was beside you.
The melody faded. The screen slowly dimmed and went dark.
Shizuku picked up the remote and pressed repeat.
Then she slowly slid down until she was lying on the sofa, watching herself on screen — laughing, genuinely happy — and gradually, softly, closed her eyes.
But... it's you I want to see.
— — —
The faint sound of a key turning in a lock pulled her awake. She didn't know when she had fallen asleep on the sofa.
She sat up, rubbing her eyes — and then it registered. She jumped to her feet at once. She didn't even stop to put on her slippers. Barefoot on the cold floor, she ran to the entryway and pulled the front door open, her face already breaking into a smile.
"Kagami, you're back—!"
The smile froze. Slowly faded. She held it together for a second longer, then forced another one into place.
"Nayotake. You came."
Shimizu Nayotake had just finished closing the front door behind her. She had seen the entire flicker of Shizuku's expression — the hope, the pause, the recovery. She gave a small nod and spoke quietly.
"I ran into Kagami at the convenience store. He mentioned you'd be alone at home tonight."
"He said if I had time, I should come keep you company."
Shizuku stepped forward and took Nayotake's hand in both of hers.
"Thank you for coming."
— — —
Late that night, after her bath, Shimizu Nayotake sat on the edge of Shizuku's bed while Shizuku dried her hair for her.
It was as if Shizuku had finally found someone she could speak to. She began, slowly and without holding back, to tell Nayotake everything — all the everyday moments, all the ordinary days she and Kagami had shared.
Nayotake was a perfect listener. She responded at just the right moments, asked questions when the silence called for them.
By the time Shizuku finished telling the whole story, she felt something loosen in her chest — like a knot that had been there so long she had forgotten it.
She looked over at Nayotake, now lying beside her, and smiled.
"Thank you, Nayotake."
"I feel so much better now."
Nayotake smiled back and pulled Shizuku into her arms.
Shizuku blinked — and then held her back.
"Why is it..."
"It feels like these few months with him were longer than the last ten years of my life."
"Because in just a few months, the two of you made enough memories to last someone else an entire lifetime."
Nayotake patted her back gently as she spoke.
"Memories like that... they hurt so much."
"Then could you bear to forget them?"
Nayotake pressed her forehead gently against Shizuku's and looked into her eyes.
Shizuku shook her head. Not a moment of hesitation.
— — —
Morning.
Shizuku came back to herself in bed, with no memory of what time she and Nayotake had finally talked themselves to sleep.
The space beside her was empty. She fumbled into her slippers and shuffled out to the living room, still half-asleep.
"Morning, Shizuku."
Nayotake was already at the kitchen counter, making breakfast.
"Morning, Nayotake."
"I'll go wake Kagami up."
She had already taken two steps before she stopped. She pressed her hand lightly against the side of her head, then looked at Nayotake with an embarrassed smile.
"Sorry. I might still be asleep."
"I'll go back to bed for a while."
Nayotake nodded.
But back in her room, Shizuku didn't lie down again.
Instead, she sat at her own writing desk and opened the drawer.
She took out several sheets of manuscript paper first.
On them, in a familiar hand, was the title: My Poverty, Shaped Like a Cheesecake.
This was the original manuscript Kagami had written that day in Chiba. The copy that was actually submitted had been her own clean transcription of it.
The original had stayed with her.
The original manuscript of Shayo as well — that one was with her too.
She looked at the pages and laughed softly.
Calls himself a great author. His handwriting is absolutely terrible.
She carefully tucked the manuscript back, and then took out a fountain pen — the one she had replaced when she gave Kagami the new one as a gift. Strictly speaking, this one had always been hers to begin with; it was only because Kagami had taken it away — along with her manuscript paper — back when she couldn't write a single word, claiming he wanted to try it out himself. He'd said he was going to keep it, but she had eventually gotten it back.
She set the pen down and reached further into the drawer, drawing out a small stack of printed photographs.
The first photo was from their first visit to Ueno Zoo together. Back then, he had just received his first payment from Kobayashi-san.
She smiled, thinking of how they had both looked then.
Then there were the casual shots — the ones he was always taking around the house with his instant camera, pointing it at her and at Yukino whenever the mood struck him.
He was such a nuisance back then...
The next ones were from Kamakura. The photo where the airflow of the Enoshima Line and the sea wind had caught them both mid-wave, blowing what was meant to be a peace sign into a heart — and turning both their faces into spectacularly unflattering expressions. The photo of them together against the windows of the train as it passed through a tunnel, the dark sea behind them. The one of the two of them, too exhausted after a night of searching for rooms to properly stand, leaning against each other. The one at the Enoshima Sea Candle — herself pointing up at the fireworks blooming in the night sky, turning to look at him — and him, not looking at the fireworks at all, but looking at her, smiling. And the one at Shichiri Beach, the two of them standing back-to-back against the setting sun.
She brought the hand that had been tracing the photographs slowly to her lips. Her fingers rested against them.
She remembered. That morning — while he was still sleeping — she had quietly pressed her lips to his.
Was that a first kiss? For me, at least, it was.
Not sure about him.
But for me — yes.
What did it taste like? What did it feel like? How warm was it?
Ah. Probably...
Salty. Wet. Warm.
A tear slipped from the corner of her eye, traced a slow path down to the corner of her mouth, then down her chin — and fell, landing on the photograph.
Shimizu Nayotake appeared beside her. She caught the teardrop with a tissue before it could leave a mark, then gently, carefully began to wipe upward along the path the tear had left.
Shizuku turned and looked up at her. Her eyes were bright with tears, but she was smiling.
"I like Kagami."
____
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