After school.
Walking behind Ishikawa and the others, backpack slung over his shoulder, Aragaki Miyahito looked thoroughly distracted.
Was that really real? Or was it just a dream?
Kasumigaoka... would she really do something like that?
His left hand unconsciously rose, palm pressing lightly against his right cheek. His thoughts were a tangled mess as he questioned himself.
I really didn't dream it?
But if it was real, why?
Why would Kasumigaoka Utaha make such an intimate gesture toward him?
It didn't make sense. In his memories, she was never that kind of frivolous girl.
With her heart already belonging to someone else, she shouldn't—and wouldn't—make such ambiguous moves toward any guy other than her crush.
Did I just dream the whole thing?
Yeah, it must have been a dream.
After all, he had just fallen asleep... and suddenly felt a slightly warm palm brush across his cheek.
Yet, even as his mind firmly insisted on this explanation,
the expression on Miyahito's face showed absolutely no conviction.
"Miyahito!"
Just then, Ishikawa Tooru, walking ahead with Yoshikawa Yuki and a girl with a hime-cut hairstyle, suddenly turned and called out to him.
Hearing his name, Miyahito looked up, his gaze instinctively drifting toward them.
"Yuki and Sakuraba said they wanna hit up a cafe. What do you think?"
"Wanna come?"
Finishing Tooru's words, the girl with the hime-cut, Sakuraba Miyu, added,
"Yeah, wanna join us? We're planning to finish our homework at the cafe before heading home."
"Hmm..." About to automatically say yes, Miyahito paused, then changed his mind. "Sorry, I'll pass."
"Eh? You're passing too?" Yuki pouted slightly. "I get Hori, but you're skipping today too, Miyahito?"
"Sorry, sorry."
Miyahito offered an apologetic smile, pressing his palms together in a pleading gesture.
"I've got some stuff to take care of today, so I can't join. Sorry about that, maybe tomorrow!"
"I'll treat you tomorrow."
Since Miyahito had said it with such sincerity, Yoshikawa Yuki and Sakuraba Miyu couldn't really press the matter. They could only nod in reluctant acceptance. Likewise, Ishikawa Tooru might have felt a bit out of place as the only guy in the group, but since his bro Miyahito had already spoken up, he simply relented.
"Alright then." Tooru lightly punched his friend's shoulder. "If you need help with anything, just call me."
Honestly, Tooru had no idea what Miyahito was busy with later, nor was he sure if he'd actually need help. But ever since Miyahito skipped class to sleep and returned to Class B that afternoon, Tooru had sensed something was off. Even though Miyahito acted completely normal after coming back, Tooru—who had grown close enough to him to be practically brothers—noticed the subtle shift in his mood immediately. That was exactly why he'd made the offer when Miyahito mentioned he had things to do and wouldn't be joining their after-school plans.
Miyahito appreciated his friend's good intentions. Smiling, he lightly returned the punch and nodded. "Don't worry, I'll call you."
"OK."
With that, Miyahito—who was skipping the after-school activities—said his goodbyes to Tooru, Yuki, and Sakuraba at the next intersection.
With a somewhat dazed expression and his backpack slung over his shoulders, he wandered aimlessly down the bustling shopping street. Unknowingly, a familiar bookstore drifted into his peripheral vision.
This is… the bookstore where Kasumigaoka held her signing event, right?
Looking past the crowd, his gaze landed on the quiet yet steadily patronized shop. He murmured silently to himself. I think I bought Love's Metronome Vol 2 there, too. What a coincidence.
As the thought crossed his mind, his legs instinctively carried him toward the store. Before he fully realized it, he was already inside. Just like last time, he found himself standing beneath the promotional poster for Love's Metronome. He looked up at the poster, then lowered his gaze to the display rack, now fully stocked with the novels.
Seeing the title Love's Metronome Vol 3 and the words Written by Kasumi Utako on the cover, he took a quiet breath and reached out. But just as his fingertips were about to brush the book, he stopped.
Silently withdrawing his hand, Miyahito turned and walked away from the display.
Yet, strangely enough, when he stepped out of the bookstore that had once hosted the "Kasumi Utako Signing Event," his previously empty right hand was now holding a beautifully wrapped paper bag, roughly the size of a light novel. From the slightly open top, the corner of a book peeked out—strikingly similar to the cover of a certain romance novel.
....
After returning home, taking a shower, and finishing all his homework, Miyahito still had plenty of time left. He had planned to head up to his second-floor studio to work on the remaining insert songs. But just as he stood up from the living room rug, his gaze fell on the novel resting nearby. His movement hesitated for a moment.
"I'll just read a little."
Sighing helplessly, he plopped back onto the sofa. He reached out, picked up the novel he'd bought and set aside, and began to read—page by page, carefully and intently.
Unknowingly, as the pages turned and he grew more immersed in the story, Miyahito suddenly murmured to himself:
"Why does the plot feel different from what I remember?"
...
The next day, at lunchtime.
For some reason, Miyahito didn't stay in the classroom to eat with Tooru, Yuki, and Hori as usual. Instead, he brought a novel, a carton of strawberry milk, and a pastry, and headed alone to the rooftop.
Pushing open the door, he took in the empty space. He wasn't sure why he'd come up here, but a faint trace of disappointment crossed his face. It felt as though he'd had an unspoken appointment, only to be stood up.
Quietly, he carried his things to the bench under the sunshade, directly facing the stairwell door. After settling down, he looked up at the clear, cloudless sky.
What the heck. I'm really overthinking this. It was just a coincidence.
Just then—
Creak!
The stairwell door he'd just closed pushed open. As it slowly swung wider, a long-haired girl stepped into view.
Meeting her wine-red eyes, Miyahito was unaware of the slight smile tugging at his own lips as he spoke softly:
"Hello, Kasumigaoka-san."
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