(Pov Ayanokouji adult)
20 minutes later...
The adult Ayanokouji walked calmly down the school halls alongside Sakayanagi, their footsteps echoing rhythmically in the environment. He observed every detail around him, feeling a mix of nostalgia and strangeness being back in a place that once was a part of his life.
Sakayanagi, always perceptive, noticed every small change in his expression. Her sharp gaze carefully analyzed each of Ayanokouji's reactions, curious to learn more about what had happened to him in the future.
"So... how does it feel to be back at your old school, Ayanokouji-kun?" she asked in her soft voice, a slight smile playing on her lips.
The adult Ayanokouji shifted his eyes from the familiar walls and looked at her, his expression calm and relaxed.
"Well... nostalgic," he replied simply, but sincerely.
There was a brief pause before he continued:
"At the same time, it's a little uncomfortable."
Sakayanagi tilted her head slightly, picking up the implied tone in his words.
"Uncomfortable? Why?"
Ayanokouji glanced discreetly at some female students passing by in the hall. They were whispering to each other, casting furtive glances at him, some even blushing. Clearly, his presence was attracting attention.
It wasn't surprising that he was drawing attention. An older, more mature Ayanokouji with a naturally commanding presence was hard to ignore.
Sakayanagi noticed this and let out an amused giggle.
"Fufufu... it seems you've become quite the sensation among the students, Ayanokouji-kun."
He sighed lightly, slightly uncomfortable, but without losing his composure.
"It's not like I'm trying to draw attention."
"Oh, but you don't need to try. It just happens." Sakayanagi said with a mischievous smile, clearly enjoying the situation.
The adult Ayanokouji didn't respond immediately, but there was a faint smile on his lips, something Sakayanagi couldn't help but notice.
After a few moments of comfortable silence between them, Sakayanagi grew serious for a moment and looked at him more intently.
"You know, I'm really happy that you've experienced human warmth to the point of showing real emotions."
The adult Ayanokouji looked at her, his gaze analyzing her expression.
He knew that Sakayanagi had always had a special interest in him, not just as a rival but also as someone who wanted to understand what lay behind his apathetic nature in the past.
He nodded slightly before responding:
"In the end, I learned a lot here at this school."
His eyes wandered down the hall again, as if reminiscing about specific moments from his past.
"And after leaving here... some other things happened that helped me understand even more what it means to live."
Sakayanagi noticed the softness in his tone and couldn't help but feel satisfied. Seeing the adult Ayanokouji so serene and, in a way, human, was something she hadn't expected, but it pleased her.
However, her curiosity was still not satisfied.
"Hm... since we're talking about the future... can I ask you some questions?" she asked, her gaze sharp.
The adult Ayanokouji raised an eyebrow slightly.
"It depends on the questions."
Sakayanagi smiled lightly, already anticipating this response.
"Don't worry, I won't ask anything that could jeopardize the future. But I'm curious... did you follow any specific career after leaving here?"
The adult Ayanokouji thought for a moment before responding:
"Yes, I followed a career... but I can't go into details."
Sakayanagi didn't seem surprised by the evasive answer but continued:
"And what about our classmates/schoolmates? Did any of them manage to achieve their goals?"
The adult Ayanokouji smiled faintly, as if recalling something pleasant.
"Yes. Some followed paths you probably expected from my class, while others took surprising turns... but overall, I think most of them found their own place in the world."
"Interesting... and me? What happened to me in the future?" she asked with a sharp gaze, testing the limits of what he could say.
The adult Ayanokouji stared at her for a moment before letting out a short laugh.
"Do you really want me to spoil the surprise?"
Sakayanagi laughed with him, shaking her head slightly.
"Fair enough. But I would try anyway, wouldn't I?"
The adult Ayanokouji nodded.
"Yes, you always try to manipulate situations to your advantage."
"Fufufu... I can't deny that it's fun talking to you."
As they continued walking down the halls, Sakayanagi cast a discreet glance at the adult Ayanokouji's hand.
That's when she noticed something again that made her arch her eyebrows slightly, still curious.
A ring.
For a moment, her eyes gleamed with interest.
"Hm... it seems you got married, Ayanokouji-kun."
He followed her gaze, and for a brief moment, seemed to hesitate, but soon returned to his soft smile.
"It seems so."
Sakayanagi tilted her head slightly, trying to decipher the ambiguous response.
"And can I at least know who the lucky person who captured your cold heart is?"
The adult Ayanokouji laughed softly.
"That would be revealing too much, don't you think?"
Sakayanagi sighed theatrically.
"So cruel... leaving me with nothing but assumptions."
He just gave her a sidelong smile, and she realized she wouldn't get that information from him so easily.
Then, she changed the subject, returning to what they were actually there for.
"Well... shall we see how your younger versions are doing, then?"
The adult Ayanokouji nodded, and together, they continued walking towards the dormitory.
The footsteps of the adult Ayanokouji and Sakayanagi echoed through the dormitory halls as they approached the door to the room. The silence inside felt strange.
Knowing that both his teenage self and child self, as well as three girls, were inside, Ayanokouji expected to hear some movement – maybe discussions, laughter, or even a small commotion. But instead, there was no sound at all.
This left him slightly intrigued.
"That's strange..." he murmured, furrowing his brow slightly.
Sakayanagi noticed his hesitation and gave a small smile.
"Are you worried?" she asked playfully. "Don't forget that your younger version has more than enough skills to handle any situation. The silence could just be a coincidence."
The adult Ayanokouji kept his neutral expression but couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
"I know he can handle anything..." he replied calmly, still not taking his eyes off the door.
Sakayanagi laughed softly.
"Then what are we waiting for?"
Without further ado, she raised her hand and knocked softly on the door three times.
Nothing.
The wait lasted about three seconds until the doorknob slowly turned, and the door opened slightly.
Standing in the doorway was the child Ayanokouji.
His impassive eyes met his adult self's, and then, with his usual calm and without showing any emotion, he said:
"I'm glad you came back."
The adult Ayanokouji raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing this. He hadn't expected such a reception, especially from himself.
"Why all this silence?" he asked directly.
The child Ayanokouji briefly looked away before responding, his voice maintaining the same calm tone:
"For a few reasons."
The adult Ayanokouji kept his gaze fixed on him, trying to catch any clue, but the young Ayanokouji simply avoided eye contact.
Sakayanagi, watching the scene, decided to intervene.
The child Ayanokouji's gaze shifted to her for the first time.
"Who are you?" he asked bluntly.
Sakayanagi smiled gently, tilting her head slightly.
"My name is Sakayanagi Arisu. I'm the leader of Class 2-A."
The child Ayanokouji analyzed her with his apathetic eyes for a few seconds before murmuring:
"You're a bit strange."
Sakayanagi laughed softly.
"Fufufu... you're exactly how I remembered you. After all, I was also in the White Room."
The child Ayanokouji didn't seem surprised.
"Ah... I see, which generation?"
"I just watched you from afar with my father, didn't participate in any of the generations, don't need that to be smart."
"I see..."
The adult Ayanokouji, already familiar with Sakayanagi's perceptiveness, decided not to prolong the interaction and simply entered the room with her.
As soon as his eyes scanned the room, he noticed a peculiar scene before them.
In the center of the room, the teenage Ayanokouji was sitting in front of a computer, focused, while Horikita was next to him, holding her phone and analyzing some information.
"Found anything?" the adult Ayanokouji asked, attracting their attention.
The teenage Ayanokouji raised his eyes from the computer for a moment before returning to what he was doing.
"Nothing concrete yet."
Horikita sighed, looking frustrated.
"Most of the information we've found about time travel is just theories and science fiction. Nothing we can really use."
The teenage Ayanokouji let out a long sigh.
"Looks like we'll have to keep researching."
The adult Ayanokouji observed them for a moment before nodding. He knew this wouldn't be easy.
But then, his eyes caught something unusual in the corner of the room.
And in that instant, he understood the reason for the silence.
Sakayanagi also noticed and widened her eyes slightly, surprised.
Kei and Chiaki were tied up with ropes, with tape covering their mouths.
Both were struggling, trying to free themselves, clearly irritated.
The adult Ayanokouji immediately looked at the child Ayanokouji, who calmly looked away, as if nothing had happened.
Sakayanagi had to cover her mouth to avoid laughing out loud.
"Fufufu... so that's what happened."
The adult Ayanokouji rubbed his face, sighing.
"Care to explain why they're tied up?"
The child Ayanokouji stayed silent for a few seconds before responding, as calm as ever:
"I did what was necessary to save myself from these women."
The room fell into silence.
Sakayanagi bit her lower lip, trying to contain her laughter.
The teenage Ayanokouji, on the other hand, didn't even bother to look at them, continuing to mess with his computer.
Horikita sighed, looking tiredly at the little Ayanokouji.
"You could have handled this in a less drastic way, I told you that while you were tying them up."
The boy kept his neutral expression.
"If I hadn't done that, they would have kept fighting over me. I just made the best decision."
Kei and Chiaki started struggling even more, clearly indignant.
The adult Ayanokouji crossed his arms.
"And how do you plan to fix this now?"
The child Ayanokouji blinked slowly before responding while looking at the tied-up girls, placing a hand on his chin:
"I didn't think that far ahead...."
Sakayanagi couldn't hold back her laughter anymore and laughed openly.
"Fufufu... this is getting more interesting by the minute."
The adult Ayanokouji let out a quiet but tired sigh. He knew that his younger versions could cause problems, but he never imagined it would reach the point of tying people up to escape an uncomfortable situation.
He approached Kei and Chiaki, who were still sitting on the floor, with their wrists slightly reddened from the ropes.
Without saying anything, he began to untie them. The knots were well-done for someone so small, in fact, they were really well tied.
Once he finished and ripped the tape off their mouths, both winced in pain.
"Agh!" Kei massaged her sensitive lips. "That hurt, you little brat!"
Chiaki sighed, clearly calmer but still "irritated."
"Seriously, what goes through your mind to do something like this?"
The child Ayanokouji, realizing he was now unprotected, quickly backed away and hid behind Sakayanagi, who watched everything with an amused smile.
Sakayanagi raised an eyebrow, surprised by his action.
"Oh? So even you recognize when you're in danger?"
The child Ayanokouji didn't answer, simply remained still, looking at the two girls, now free and clearly angry.
It was at that moment that Kei and Chiaki finally noticed Sakayanagi's presence.
They were both surprised, their eyes widening when they saw the leader of Class 2-A in Ayanokouji's room.
Kei reacted first, crossing her arms and giving her a suspicious look.
"What the hell are you doing here?!"
Sakayanagi, as always, kept her calm expression and a slightly provocative smile on her lips.
"Fufufu... I just came to confirm some rumors."
"Rumors?" Chiaki repeated, frowning.
Sakayanagi shifted her gaze to the teenage Ayanokouji, who was still sitting in front of the computer, focused.
She smiled slightly before addressing him directly.
"Good afternoon, Ayanokouji-kun. Are you okay?"
The teenage Ayanokouji stopped typing for a moment and slowly turned his chair to face her.
His cold, analytical eyes met hers.
"Good afternoon, Sakayanagi."
His voice was neutral, but carried a slight tone of tiredness.
He studied her for a few seconds before continuing.
"I'm fine... but the situation is problematic."
Sakayanagi chuckled softly, bringing a hand to her mouth.
"Problems seem to follow you wherever you go, don't they?"
The teenage Ayanokouji sighed.
"I'd like to disagree, but I can't."
Kei, still suspicious, asked again.
"Okay, but what rumors are you here to confirm?"
Sakayanagi looked at her and smiled calmly.
"Well, the rumors about the fact that we have three Ayanokoujis walking around the school. One adult, one teenager, and one child. Sounds like something out of science fiction, don't you think?"
Kei huffed.
"And now that you've seen it's true, what do you plan to do?"
Sakayanagi tilted her head slightly, as if pondering the answer.
"Just observe." Her tone was light, but her eyes held a sharp gleam. "An opportunity like this doesn't come around every day. Watching you interact with different versions of yourself is fascinating."
The teenage Ayanokouji raised an eyebrow.
"And is your interest purely academic, emotional, or curiosity?"
"Fufufu... Who knows?" she answered, evasively.
Meanwhile, the child Ayanokouji was still hiding behind Sakayanagi.
Kei looked at him, narrowing her eyes.
"And you, Ayanokouji kid? Got something to say?"
The child Ayanokouji looked away, his expression as neutral as ever.
"I did what was necessary to avoid danger."
Kei clenched her fists, pouting in irritation.
"Danger? What kind of danger?"
Chiaki crossed her arms, agreeing with the blonde.
"You just needed to talk, you didn't have to tie us up."
The child Ayanokouji looked at them for a few seconds before responding.
"My words wouldn't have been enough to stop you, you were acting really weird."
Kei was about to respond, but the adult Ayanokouji intervened, raising a hand.
"That's enough. He learned his lesson."
Kei huffed but said nothing more.
The adult Ayanokouji turned to his teenage version.
"And the research?"
The teenage Ayanokouji turned back to the computer, letting out a light sigh.
"Nothing concrete yet. But we're making progress little by little."
Horikita, who had been silent up until then, finally spoke.
"We've found some theories about time travel and temporal paradoxes, but nothing practical. We need more time to understand what's going on."
The adult Ayanokouji nodded.
"Then keep going."
He turned his gaze back to Kei and Chiaki.
"And you two... no more trouble."
Kei crossed her arms, sulking, but said nothing.
Sakayanagi, on the other hand, kept watching everything with a mysterious smile on her lips.
The adult Ayanokouji knew this was just the beginning of the problems.
The silence in the room was almost strange after so much chaos. The teenage Ayanokouji sighed heavily, feeling a slight discomfort in his forehead after staring at the computer screen for so long. He ran his hand over his eyes, briefly closing them before leaning back in his chair.
"It's no use continuing now," he said, his voice neutral but tinged with exhaustion. "If we're too tired to comprehend anything, we'll just be wasting time."
Horikita, who was beside him, crossed her arms and closed her eyes for a moment. It was rare for Ayanokouji to admit something like that, so she knew he was genuinely tired.
"You're right," she replied, opening her eyes and relaxing her posture a little. "Pushing the research will only lead us to make stupid mistakes."
She sighed softly and turned off the computer screen, stepping back a bit.
The adult Ayanokouji, who had been silently observing everything with calmness, gave a small, discreet smile.
"Seeing you admit you need rest is... different."
The teenage Ayanokouji looked at him with a slightly impassive expression before responding calmly.
"I learned to manage my time better during the time you were in the teacher's lounge."
Sakayanagi, who had been watching everything with curious eyes, chuckled softly when she heard that.
"Fufufu... It seems like you've really changed a bit during this time with your alternative versions from different timelines," she said, tilting her head slightly. "If it were in the past, I'm sure you'd have completely ignored the exhaustion and kept going until you found an answer to your doubts."
The teenage Ayanokouji didn't respond immediately. His eyes wandered briefly to his adult version, analyzing him.
"Maybe it's because now I know that things will work out for something I want in the future."
The adult Ayanokouji raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the words of his younger version.
"And how can you be so sure of that?"
The teenager briefly looked away, as if reflecting.
"If you managed to get this far and with emotions... it means I did something right."
For a moment, the room was silent.
Kei, who had been quiet up until then, frowned and crossed her arms, suspicious.
"Right... but now that you're stopping this crazy research, what are we going to do?"
Chiaki yawned lightly, stretching her arms.
"Honestly? I just want to rest a bit..."
Sakayanagi smiled slightly, observing the group interaction.
"Maybe a rest is exactly what you need. After all, when it comes to something as complex as a temporal anomaly, keeping a fresh mind might be the key to finding a solution."
The adult Ayanokouji nodded with a slight tilt of his head.
"We can use this time to reflect on everything we know so far. Calmly, we can connect the dots that might have been overlooked."
Kei huffed, rolling her eyes, noticing what the adult Ayanokouji was hinting at.
— So, basically, you just want to rest without feeling guilty?
Adult Ayanokouji gave a slight smile.
— If it makes you feel better, then yes.
Horikita looked at the clock, mentally calculating the time they had spent there; it had been four hours of intense research without stopping.
— I don't mind resting for a bit. — She admitted. — But how long are we going to stay without acting?
Teenage Ayanokouji thought for a moment before answering.
— Enough to reorganize our thoughts. But not so much that we lose track of the urgency of the situation.
Sakayanagi laughed softly, tilting her head to the side.
— You really think too much about everything, don't you?
Teenage Ayanokouji gave her a neutral look before calmly responding.
— It's necessary when you have my adult version and my child version in the same timeline as me.
While everyone got more comfortable, Child Ayanokouji, who had remained quiet until now, finally stepped out from behind Sakayanagi and sat on the floor, observing everyone in silence.
He still didn't know how all of this would end, but being surrounded by so many strange people and seeing older versions of himself was... different.
Maybe, just maybe, this wasn't a bad thing for him.
(10 minutes later)
Adult Ayanokouji sighed lightly while organizing the ingredients in the kitchen next to Horikita. He knew everyone was hungry, so he decided to prepare a Japanese-style afternoon tea. It wasn't exactly something he did frequently, but it was a habit he had developed over time.
Horikita, silently helping him, cast a discreet glance at him.
— I didn't know you cooked. I thought you only learned in your teenage years because of Ichika.
Adult Ayanokouji gave a small smile.
— I ended up thinking it was better to learn more because I liked it and saw it would be useful when I didn't want to ruin points during school days.
She raised an eyebrow.
— And was it useful outside of school?
— More than I expected. — He replied, grabbing some rice to prepare onigiris. — Besides, cooking can be a good way to relax.
Horikita murmured in agreement, grabbing a kettle to prepare tea.
Meanwhile, in the living room, the atmosphere was still tense.
Child Ayanokouji was sitting between his teenage version and Sakayanagi, looking completely calm, while Kei and Chiaki sat on the other side of the room, with irritated expressions.
Kei, visibly pouting, huffed and crossed her arms, her frustration evident.
— Seriously, you little brat?! You kept us tied up for two whole hours!
Child Ayanokouji turned his gaze away, pretending to be uninterested.
— I had a good reason.
— Good reason my ass! — Kei retorted, her expression clearly indignant. — And the worst part is that we were only freed because Adult Ayanokouji arrived! Otherwise, we'd still be stuck!
Chiaki, who had been silent until then, was watching the boy with an analytical look. Unlike Kei, she wasn't just irritated—she was impressed.
She remembered what had happened earlier.
He managed to completely trick them.
The idea seemed so simple: a game of hide and seek. Child Ayanokouji suggested they split up in the room to search for him... and by the time they realized, he had already immobilized them with ropes and tape.
A ridiculously effective plan.
— You're much smarter than you seem. — Chiaki murmured, her gaze fixed on him.
Child Ayanokouji blinked at her, showing no emotion.
— Thanks.
Kei huffed again, leaning forward.
— And you're still going to act like you didn't do anything wrong?!
Child Ayanokouji looked at her, his expression unchanged.
— I already apologized.
— Apologizing doesn't mean I have to accept it!
Teenage Ayanokouji, who was sitting next to his child version, sighed lightly.
— Are you still going to keep fighting about this?
Sakayanagi, who had been watching everything with an amused smile, chuckled softly.
— Fufufu... I must say, it was an impressive strategy.
— Don't encourage this! — Kei reprimanded her quickly.
Sakayanagi just smiled provocatively.
— Why not? Can't I admire a child's ingenuity?
Kei muttered something incomprehensible, clearly frustrated.
Chiaki, on the other hand, continued analyzing Child Ayanokouji.
— How old are you again?
Child Ayanokouji looked directly into her eyes before answering calmly.
— Enough to know you were naive.
Kei exclaimed, pouting and flailing her arms.
— You're lucky you're just a kid, or I'd make you pay for this!
Child Ayanokouji turned his gaze away, completely ignoring the threat.
Sakayanagi laughed again, while Teenage Ayanokouji massaged his temples, trying to avoid a headache.
— Maybe it's better we focus on something else while we wait for the afternoon tea.
Kei still looked irritated but ended up sighing heavily, reclining on the couch.
— Whatever... But this isn't over, brat.
Child Ayanokouji didn't respond.
But inside, he knew he had won that argument.
Kid Ayanokouji 1.
Kei 0
Kei started losing to a child.
(10 minutes later)
Sakayanagi smiled softly while holding her tea cup, observing the group around the table.
— Thank you for the meal.
Adult Ayanokouji and Horikita were finishing organizing the dishes, while Kei and Chiaki relaxed a bit, now calmer and satisfied.
Horikita sat next to Adult Ayanokouji and grabbed a pair of chopsticks naturally, starting to eat with controlled gestures.
Child Ayanokouji, sitting between his teenage version and Sakayanagi, looked at the variety of dishes in front of him with a cautious, yet curious, look.
He grabbed a piece of tamagoyaki and brought it to his mouth, chewing slowly. The moment the sweet and smooth flavor spread across his tongue, his eyes blinked slightly.
Kei, who was drinking tea, almost choked while holding back a laugh.
— His reaction... was so subtle, but so cute.
Chiaki, sitting next to Kei, tilted her head slightly.
— He looks like a cat trying food for the first time.
Child Ayanokouji heard the comment but chose to ignore it, grabbing another dish, this time an onigiri stuffed with salmon. He took a bite and raised his eyebrows slightly, showing surprise.
— I've never eaten this before.
Horikita watched his reaction, and after a few seconds, murmured calmly.
— It makes sense for you to react this way... You've mentioned having a very strict diet because of your father.
Teenage Ayanokouji felt his body stiffen for a brief moment but forced himself to maintain a neutral expression.
Sakayanagi, who was observing attentively, raised an eyebrow subtly. She was smart enough to realize that this explanation was a well-constructed lie. After all, if it was just a strict diet, it wouldn't justify Ayanokouji's exceptionally calculated behavior, even during his childhood.
But instead of questioning it, she smiled softly and decided to play along.
— Still, your reactions are very interesting... and somewhat cute.
Child Ayanokouji stopped for a second and looked at her, his expression unchanged.
— I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult.
Sakayanagi chuckled softly, bringing her cup to her lips.
— A compliment, of course.
Kei pointed her chopsticks in his direction.
— You might not notice, but every reaction of yours makes it seem like you've never had real food before!
Child Ayanokouji turned his gaze away, grabbing a piece of grilled fish without responding.
Teenage Ayanokouji, who had been silent, sighed deeply.
— I'm still trying to understand how my life went from a normal routine to dealing with my adult version and my child version in the same room as me...
Sakayanagi chuckled lightly, enjoying the comment.
— At the very least, it's a unique experience.
Adult Ayanokouji, who had been listening to the conversation while drinking his tea, smiled lightly.
— The question is: will this experience be useful for your future?
Horikita raised an eyebrow.
— And you, do you have an answer for that? Is all this happening here going to be useful to you?
Adult Ayanokouji closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again.
— Not yet... but maybe, in the end, I'll find out.
Silence briefly filled the table as each person reflected on the situation.
As surreal as everything was, in the end, this afternoon tea turned out to be a rare moment of tranquility.
Teenage Ayanokouji calmly finished his meal, placing his chopsticks on the table in an organized manner. Beside him, his child version was also finishing eating, discreetly licking his lips.
However, Teenage Ayanokouji noticed a small detail that caught his attention. Child Ayanokouji had some tea residue on his upper lip and a small grain of rice stuck to his cheek.
He sighed lightly, grabbed a small cloth, and, naturally, moved closer to his younger self.
— Stay still. — He said, gently cleaning Child Ayanokouji's face.
The child version didn't protest, simply accepting the gesture with his neutral expression.
The simple act, however, had an unexpected impact on the girls around the table.
Kei held her tea cup a bit more tightly, her face gaining a slight reddish tone.
— This scene... He looks like a father taking care of his child... I wonder if it will be like this with our future children?
Chiaki, who had been pouring some more tea, momentarily paused and averted her gaze.
— If it were my child with him, it would be cute...
Horikita raised an eyebrow slightly, but her mind played a trick on her.
— He really has a way with children... That would be useful if we ever had a child—
Immediately, she closed her eyes and gently shook her head, dismissing the absurd thought while blushing lightly.
Sakayanagi, on the other hand, quickly noticed the strange atmosphere forming at the table. Her sharp gaze caught the slightly flushed expressions of the other girls, and without wasting time, she turned to the adult Ayanokouji.
The older version of Ayanokouji, who had been silently observing everything until now, smiled faintly.
— Interesting... — he murmured quietly, bringing the tea cup to his lips.
Sakayanagi noticed his amused look and asked quietly.
— What exactly is so interesting?
Adult Ayanokouji shifted his gaze to the girls, who were trying to disguise their thoughts.
— Their reactions. It's curious to see how certain ideas can emerge from such little human stimulus.
Sakayanagi smiled softly, understanding exactly what he meant.
— Does this mean that, in the future, you've gotten used to this kind of situation?
Adult Ayanokouji looked at his teenage version, who was still wiping the face of his child version without noticing anything.
He smiled faintly before responding.
— Let's just say I learned how to handle this over time.
The conversation was interrupted when the child Ayanokouji blinked at his older version, clearly sensing that something was going on, even without fully understanding what it was.
— Are you talking about something I should know? — he asked, his voice expressionless.
Adult Ayanokouji chuckled softly.
— Nothing important. Just something you'll understand better in the future.
Child Ayanokouji stared at the adult version for a few seconds before simply shrugging.
Meanwhile, the girls were still trying to control their thoughts, but the awkward atmosphere that had formed still lingered in the air.
(8 minutes later.)
Adult Ayanokouji calmly stood up from the table, gathering the dishes of those who had already finished eating. With a tranquil expression, he made his way to the kitchen sink, ready to start cleaning.
Horikita, who had already offered to help before, stood up right behind him. Hearing the sound of dishes being washed, she approached him, taking some of the pieces and starting to help, still maintaining her serious and focused demeanor. As distant as she appeared, her intention to help was clear, and adult Ayanokouji didn't stop her.
Meanwhile, in the living room, teenage Ayanokouji stayed for a few minutes talking with the girls. The conversations were discreet and a bit uncomfortable, especially with the heavy atmosphere that had formed after the scene with the younger version of Ayanokouji. Kei was still slightly flushed, while Chiaki and Sakayanagi seemed calmer, trying to maintain control of the situation.
The atmosphere seemed to be returning to normal, but there was a sense of curiosity hanging over everyone, especially about what might come next.
Suddenly, the peace was interrupted by a sound that broke the silence of the dorm: someone knocking hard on the door. The knock was followed by a shout that echoed through the room:
— Senpai!
The female voice was unmistakable, and almost everyone in the room, including teenage Ayanokouji, adult Ayanokouji, Horikita, and Kei, recognized it instantly. Each of their faces showed a slight expression of weariness and resignation, already anticipating what was to come.
Teenage Ayanokouji, with a slight look of disgust ;-;, stood up from his chair and walked to the door. He knew very well who was on the other side, and as expected, it wasn't a surprise visit, but rather something he had already anticipated when he heard rumors at school about his situation.
He opened the door, seeing the girl he knew would be there and another who was a slight surprise: Ichika Amasawa, with her scarlet hair and that cheerful smile, was standing next to Nanase Tsubasa, who, with her blonde hair and light blue eyes, seemed as serene as ever. Both were smiling.
End of Chapter 4.