"Shiina?"
The sudden voice in her ear pulled Shiina Taki out of her thoughts.
A faint change flickered across her clean, pale cheeks, and her deep violet eyes seemed to glow with layered meaning. With jade-like fingers, she tucked a strand of glossy black hair behind her ear.
When she spoke again, the confusion that had clouded her face moments ago was gone.
She looked at the handsome, black-haired boy across from her, inhaled gently, and said:
"…Sorry, I spaced out a little."
"You totally spaced out," Kazami Haru replied with narrowed eyes, clearly teasing.
But he hadn't spaced out because of the cold.
It was just that… Taki was way too pretty.
He'd totally lost his focus just watching her.
There was no way Shiina Taki had any idea just how mesmerizing she looked in that moment!
Normally, her gaze was sharp, even aggressive but once her usual feisty energy calmed down, she transformed from his rowdy "bro" into a captivating black-haired ice queen.
With her already stunning features, that sudden contrast hit hard.
Come to think of it…
As bros go, Taki had it all: translucent skin, a gorgeous face with a seductive beauty mark, and—thanks to her drumming—a well-toned, athletic figure with long legs and curves that could rival even the serene vegetarian of the band.
Only her petite height held her back. Otherwise, her total appearance stats were off the charts.
Even Haru… almost developed feelings he shouldn't have for his bro.
"…Anyway, back to it."
Haru took a deep breath, pushing those traitorous thoughts aside, and resumed calmly pointing out issues in the sheet music.
Across from him, Taki just stared quietly at his face. Maybe because he was talking about something he was truly good at, Haru's voice carried a natural confidence, and a subtle smile played at his lips.
His dark eyes stayed locked on the sheet, focused and unwavering.
Completely immersed.
The more she talked to him about composing, the more Taki felt the gap between them.
Even though the only thing separating them was the small café table, it felt like he was drifting farther and farther away.
Haru's presence, even more than Togawa Sakiko's, made her feel calm and safe.
But that dependability, that brilliance—it only made her more anxious.
"Kh-kh…!"
Haru's throat had gone a bit dry from all the talking. Just as he took a sip of coffee to soothe it, he suddenly started coughing hard.
Taki's eyes flew wide open. Her brows furrowed, panic coloring her expression.
Immediately, she leaned forward, placing the back of her hand against his forehead.
"Haru, you sure you're okay?"
He didn't seem to be burning up, thankfully, so no high fever—just the lingering cold.
Still, he should've been resting at home.
And now she realized, it was because she'd selfishly taken on the composing role that he'd dragged his sick self out here to meet with her.
A wave of guilt crashed over her.
"No more coffee. Go home, now."
"Hey, that coffee cost 350 yen—!"
Watching Taki snatch the half-full cup from in front of him like a nagging housewife, Haru's eyes widened in disbelief. His reluctance practically oozed from his expression.
But Taki wasn't backing down. Her tone was as hard as ever.
She swiftly packed up the sheet music Haru had edited, her sharp brows scrunched in that classic no-nonsense look.
"Haru. Leave the band stuff to me for now."
"I'll handle both practice and composing. I'll finish this song before you're fully recovered—"
Her voice allowed no room for negotiation.
And before Haru could protest, her stern eyes softened just a little… then she stood up with the music and strode out of the café like she was fleeing the scene.
She couldn't stay any longer.
Alone with Haru, her brain stopped working right.
"Finish it before I'm better, huh…"
Hearing her determined promise, Haru's expression turned subtly amused.
He had taken medicine and gotten proper rest. The fever was gone, he was just dealing with the rear-end of a common cold.
Thanks to his "Enhanced Physical Health" skill, he'd be back to 100% in two or three days tops.
And within that short window, Taki was planning to complete the entire composition?
From Shiina Taki's perspective, finishing the new song for the band's upcoming performance as early as possible was essential, only then could they secure more time for practice before the live, increasing their margin for error.
Once she set her mind to something, no one could stop her.
"At this point, I can only trust Taki with it."
Kazami Haru watched her figure fade into the distance and slowly closed his eyes.
Just as he was about to pick up the menu to order some curry rice for lunch, the phone in his pocket suddenly started buzzing.
It was a Line message from Kita Ikuyo.
…
"Yessss—!!"
Kita Ikuyo could barely contain her excitement.
Her bright yellow-green eyes shimmered with emotion as she stared at the glowing phone screen. Half-lounging on her bed, she smiled for a long while before suddenly sitting up straight, her cheeks flushed with the thrill of anticipation.
She hadn't expected this, such a perfect opportunity!
"No way even Ryo-senpai could've seen this coming~"
Ikuyo's heart was pounding with excitement.
She was already fantasizing about their "date."
Originally, she'd planned to spend the day like usual, maybe text Anon and invite her out shopping. But for some reason, the usually lightning-fast Anon hadn't responded at all today.
That instantly put Ikuyo on high alert.
After all, as the band's self-proclaimed "Social Media Ambassador," Anon was practically glued to her phone. No matter the situation, she always replied in seconds!
But today—no updates, no messages, no new blog posts.
Extremely suspicious.
Panicking that the damn pinkhead had whisked Haru off to a hotel somewhere, Ikuyo had called her in a panic, determined to sabotage the whole thing.
To her surprise, the phone was answered… but by Anon's mom.
And from that conversation, Ikuyo had learned one critical piece of intel:
Chihaya Anon had caught a fever and was bedridden.
Perfect.
"Love is war!"
"This is fair competition! It's not cheating!"
Ikuyo gave herself a few light slaps on the cheeks, her eyes blazing with righteous determination.
She would use Anon's illness as the excuse to invite Haru to "visit a sick friend." Then, once the visit ended naturally, they'd casually head over to the trendy couple's café she'd already scouted.
If everything went well, they'd follow that with a walk around town and she even had movie tickets and dinner reservations ready.
If it all clicked, tonight might go even further than she dared hope.
"Alright!"
Clenching her small fists, Ikuyo gave herself one last dose of encouragement.
Her biggest strength? Ridiculously strong initiative. Once she made a decision, she acted immediately and left nothing to chance.
So this time, she didn't even tell Gotoh Hitori.
"No, no—better double-check everything!"
She leaned toward the little mirror in her room again, gently brushing her fiery red hair. Her sleek side ponytail gleamed subtly under the light.
Being a naturally gifted beauty, she didn't even need much makeup to look gorgeous. A bit of eyeshadow was all it took to make her eyes pop with charm.
"Maybe I should… be bold today?"
"…No, no! I'm not that kind of girl, okay?!"
The girl's slender fingers lightly tugged at her silky white thigh-high socks, then quickly let go.
Maybe a stray thought had passed through her mind, because a deep flush bloomed across Kita Ikuyo's fair cheeks, spreading all the way to the tips of her ears, which turned a rosy hue under the sunlight.
Unable to contain her bubbling excitement any longer, she slipped into the skirt she'd picked out in advance and made her way toward the entryway, already brimming with anticipation.
Her mother, Kita Kuruyo, blinked in surprise as she watched her daughter getting ready to head out. She asked with a hint of curiosity, "Ikuyo, going out with friends again today?"
"Nope~ Just visiting a sick friend, that's all~"
Visiting a sick friend?
Kuruyo 's gaze lingered on her daughter's dazzling outfit, eyes slightly skeptical.
All this… just to visit someone who's sick?
A trendy, wide-sleeved blouse, a black ribbon choker, a beige skirt paired with white socks, and to top it off, makeup far more polished than usual?
That didn't exactly scream "sick visit."
After a moment of hesitation, Kuruyo asked as casually as she could manage:
"...A boyfriend?"
"Of course not! M-Mom, what are you even thinking?!"
Ikuyo's face went bright red in an instant, her eyes darting away like they were trying to escape the question.
Seeing her daughter acting so flustered and urgently heading out, Kuruyo smiled knowingly.
Ahaha~ no need to say it out loud, huh?
"Well, even if you're back a little late tonight… it's totally fine."
"It's not like that!! I—I'm going now!"
With her heart already halfway out the door, Ikuyo practically bolted, throwing on her round-toe loafers and dashing out, leaving Kuruyo alone in the entranceway with a peaceful smile.
She let out a long, meaningful sigh.
…
Heading to meet Kazami Haru in the neighborhood park, Ikuyo couldn't stop the smile creeping onto her lips. The moment she arrived, her eyes, full of energy, darted around, scanning for any trace of him.
Then she spotted a black-haired figure standing beneath the park clock.
Ikuyo's face lit up with uncontainable joy, warmth flooding her expression.
She skipped over in delight and called out:
"Haru-saaan~ Ciallo~! (∠°ω°)⌒☆!"
Seeing the cheerful ambush from behind, Haru couldn't help but laugh.
Today, Ikuyo seemed even more energetic and radiant than usual, her smile as bright as springtime flowers, but what caught Haru's attention most was her outfit.
It was a bolder look than usual—cuter, even. Despite her modest figure, his gaze kept drifting back to her.
"So, Haru-san… What do you think?"
Ikuyo shyly twisted her slender waist, the belted beige skirt fluttering lightly with the movement. Her outfit perfectly emphasized her energetic charm.
"...You look cute."
Haru's sincere praise sent a wave of giddy triumph through her.
Thank goodness she'd stuck with her usual plain white socks after all.
If she'd lost her mind and gone with the seductive over-the-knee version, it would've been way too obvious what she was trying to do! He might've even thought she was weird…
"Well then, Haru-san~ should we grab lunch first?"
"Weren't we going to visit the 'sick friend'?"
Haru rolled his eyes and gently tapped her on the forehead with a mock karate chop.
It didn't hurt in the slightest but when he touched her, Ikuyo blinked and, for a split second, something unreadable flickered in her yellow-green eyes.
"What's wrong, Kita? Did I hurt you?"
"...Didn't really feel it…"
"Huh?"
Haru blinked, puzzled.
Realizing what she just said, Ikuyo quickly looked away, flustered, and tried to change the subject with forced casualness.
"I-I mean we should go visit them right away! I still don't know why Anon-chan suddenly came down with a fever…"
Haru's expression tensed slightly.
He knew exactly why.
After all, Chihaya Anon had been perfectly fine yesterday, bursting with energy. That she ended up with a fever the very next day was almost certainly because she caught it from him. When Ikuyo brought it up, he'd even asked Takamatsu Tomori about it.
Turned out only Anon had gotten sick. Tomori was completely fine.
Maybe Anon's constitution is worse than she lets on?
"Pretty sure I gave it to her."
"Eh?"
Ikuyo blinked in confusion, clearly not following.
"I had a fever yesterday and didn't go to practice, so Anon and Tomori came over to visit me. I guess Anon caught it then…"
"Wait, that happened?!"
Ikuyo's smile twitched awkwardly.
So while she had no idea, Anon had already pulled a stealthy maneuver and visited Haru at home?
And used the whole "caretaking" thing to rack up affection points?
That sneaky pinkhead…!
Still, more than feeling competitive, Ikuyo was genuinely concerned about Haru's health.
When she heard he'd been sick, her vibrant red side ponytail drooped like a wilted flower, and her bright, cheerful face turned worried.
She asked gently, "You still had a fever yesterday, right? You look better today, but… are you sure it's okay to be out? Maybe I should take you home, your health is more important than anything else!"
Seeing the sincerity in her eyes, Haru shook his head.
"Thanks. But I've already recovered from the fever."
"I'm really okay."
He appreciated her concern, but he knew his own body best. If he weren't up for it, he wouldn't have come.
The only thing left was a lingering cough. Nothing serious. And after hearing from Ikuyo that Anon had caught his cold, he had to visit her now too, if only to make it up to her.
Relieved that Haru wasn't forcing himself, Ikuyo relaxed just a bit.
Thank goodness, she thought. For a moment there, she was afraid she'd dragged him out while he was still sick…
No matter how much she liked him, risking his health for her would've felt wrong—too selfish.
As the tension faded, a light blush returned to her cheeks. Her red side ponytail swayed softly in the sunlight, glinting with a faint sheen.
Then, without realizing it, she reached out her pale, slender hand.
"U-Um!"
Her voice trembled slightly—but she pushed forward with determination.
Normally, Ikuyo was always bursting with energy, bubbly and bright from head to toe. But now her tone was so quiet, like a whisper caught in the breeze.
"Haru-san, you've just recovered from being really sick, right? Your body probably isn't back to full strength yet, so… just in case…"
"Maybe… you could hold my hand?"
- - -
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