By the time they returned home, the sky had already darkened.
"Huh? My slippers?"
Takamatsu Tomori, with her short light gray hair, looked surprised at the slippers pushed into her hands. They were a pair of fluffy penguin slippers in bright blue and white. Just from the delighted look in the girl's eyes, it was obvious how much she loved this little gift.
"I got special slippers for everyone. After all, we can't keep wearing those disposable ones for guests, right?"
Seeing the penguin girl's happy expression, Haru's smile nearly reached his ears. He felt proud and lighthearted as he casually answered, holding up the shopping bag.
Beside him, the little cucumber nodded earnestly as if to show agreement.
The girl slowly pulled off her beige winter boots, revealing her petite feet wrapped in white stockings. Her cheeks flushed, the cucumber girl seemed to pause deliberately for two or three seconds before finally slipping her feet into the cute cucumber slippers.
"..."
Haru raised an eyebrow slightly, watching the whole scene without the least attempt to hide it.
The clear beep of the air conditioner echoed as warm air kicked in. The lights at the entrance glowed with a soft, sunlike warmth. When Haru closed the iron door and latched the security chain, the last trace of cold from outside was completely driven away.
Only, the demon in his heart was much harder to banish.
"I'll go prep the ingredients. Tomori, Haru, could you two set out the bowls and the pot?"
Haru tried to steady his breathing with deep inhalations. It was all the cucumber's fault. She had been teasing him since the supermarket, and given that he was never that confident in his self-control to begin with, his mood was now beyond description.
Still, it was only dinner. He wasn't about to lose composure in such a short time.
"Got it!"
One girl nodded and the other answered, both of them like obedient little soldiers rushing to prove their usefulness. They scampered toward the kitchen, their slippers pattering against the floor.
Haru had already prepared for the hotpot in advance. Before going out he had simmered a pork bone broth with spices, and he had also stocked up on dipping sauces so that both those who liked spicy food and those who did not would be satisfied.
"But… are these really things you put in hotpot?"
Setting down the shopping bag, Haru poured out the assortment of unusual ingredients. Abalone and sea cucumber might still work in a pot, but things like goji berries? And wasn't the quantity way too much? Was Mutsumi really serious about this?
"…Stare."
The intensity of the gaze made Haru turn his head. The moment he did, the girl hiding behind him quickly pulled back, though she forgot that her long, pale green ponytail was still sticking out.
"Mutsumi."
Haru's calm call made the girl's shoulders tremble.
Having been caught, Mutsumi could not keep hiding. She peeked her head out from the kitchen doorway. Her delicate, fair face was tinged with a bright blush, and even the tips of her small ears had taken on a lovely shade of red.
Knowing she was in the wrong, Mutsumi lowered her head, her voice soft and obedient as she apologized.
"…Haru, I'm sorry."
"Mutsumi-san, why are you apologizing to me?"
Haru could not help but chuckle. He waved her over.
Dressed in her casual home clothes, his fiancée had become quite adept at tying her hair into a high ponytail for ease of movement. Her petite frame was wrapped in a cute apron decorated with cucumber patterns, and the hotpot ladle in her hand only made her seem more adorable.
"I really didn't expect you to sneak around preparing all this. Turns out you're bolder than I thought, Mutsumi."
It was just like her. As the Ave Mujica member who embodied Mortis, Mutsumi had always loved heavy metal rock music in private, a taste that contrasted sharply with her outwardly gentle and sweet demeanor.
"Ugh…"
Mutsumi's face grew even redder when Haru reached out and lightly pinched her cheek. She could not raise her head at all.
"But don't you think you're underestimating me a little?"
Did she really think he needed such things?
Day to day, Mutsumi would always find little ways to provoke him on purpose. And now, at a moment like this, she still seemed not to trust him. Even Haru narrowed his eyes at that.
No, this way of thinking had to be corrected.
"…Haru, I've set out the plates."
"Alright, I'll be right there."
The soft murmur of the penguin girl drifted over. Snapping out of his thoughts, Haru poked Mutsumi lightly on the forehead with his finger, then swiftly began slicing the ingredients with practiced ease, arranging the fresh seafood and meats neatly on plates.
Mutsumi blinked, her face still tinged with pink. After a few seconds of silence, she obediently took up the rice scoop to start serving.
…
As a small celebration for his return from the hospital, the Kazami household's winter hotpot was simple.
Of course, this winter special wasn't going to come with some exaggerated opening or sudden power-ups.
The bubbling of the broth filled the air, steam thick with the scent of meat rising from the pot. Neither girl was much of a talker. Each simply held her bowl and stuffed pieces of meat into her mouth in silence.
The faint clink of bowls and chopsticks echoed at their side. Sitting on Haru's left, Mutsumi silently dipped a slice of wagyu, using her left hand to brush back her hair so it wouldn't touch the sauce. It revealed the smooth, pale curve of her ear.
On his right, Tomori was fixated on the boiling pot. Left alone, she would probably lose herself completely to it, so Haru made sure to pick out food for her. Blushing, she accepted and nibbled at it in tiny bites.
All in all, it seemed the taste suited everyone quite well.
"…I'll clear the bowls, Haru, you just rest."
No sooner had they finished dinner than Mutsumi rushed to clear away the dishes.
Perhaps in her eyes, even though the doctor had already discharged him, Haru was still a patient recovering from serious injury. Tomori, being a guest, also volunteered to help. The two petite girls vanished from the room in an instant.
"In that case, I'll leave it to you."
Haru tossed out those words and headed for his room. He could have just flopped onto the sofa to relax, but after eating so much, doing nothing made him restless. At least he could check on his work.
"…Come to think of it, I haven't done any work these past few days."
He muttered to himself, his gaze falling on the sketch board in the center of the room.
During his stay in the hospital, he hadn't touched a paintbrush even once. As his fiancée, Mutsumi had also banned him from using his composition equipment. On top of that, Sakiko had stopped giving him band management tasks altogether.
There were only a few days left before his submission deadline.
He really did need to push himself a little more.
Click…
The sound of the door opening made him pause. Just as he was wondering whether to start sketching first, Haru turned and found himself meeting the gaze of a petite girl at the doorway. Leaning against the frame, Mutsumi lowered her head shyly.
Haru: ?
Wait a second. What was this?
Wasn't she supposed to be washing dishes? Was this some kind of empty fortress trick?
"…I can't wait until tonight."
Mutsumi pressed a hand to her chest. Her expression was as blank as ever, almost doll-like, yet her voice carried a faint tremor. Her delicate face lifted with the courage of someone forcing themselves forward.
The urgency of her words was almost violent, completely at odds with her calm features.
Like a soldier preparing for battle, fearful yet over-equipped, the little cucumber seemed worried Haru would refuse her forwardness. Those golden eyes, usually so steady, now carried a hint of panic as she spilled out everything she had prepared.
"This too…"
She tugged open a drawer in his wardrobe. Inside, at some unknown time, she had stuffed it full of square packages.
"…Did you learn this trick from Soyo?"
Now this was definitely a bit much.
Haru's thoughts turned muddled. Still, the fact that Mutsumi had gone to such lengths showed how seriously she took this. As her fiancé, he owed her proper respect and acknowledgment.
"Uh…"
Mutsumi blinked blankly. Flustered, she suddenly found herself lifted into Haru's arms.
A rush of weightlessness swept over her. Before she could process it, she had already been dropped onto the soft bedding. Slim and delicate, she was so light. The warmth of his presence surrounded her like sunlight, and she closed her eyes halfway.
Click
The door creaked open again, breaking Mutsumi's daze.
The penguin girl with short gray hair stood frozen at the threshold. She flailed her hands in panic, as if trying to explain herself. But after struggling for so long, her face bright red, no words came out.
At last, after much effort, she managed to whisper in a hesitant, timid voice.
"S-sorry, I think… I came at the wrong time."
"…"
Haru exhaled heavily in silence, then reached out to cover his half-finished drawing with a cloth.
Work, it seemed, would have to be postponed.
The black-haired boy raised his brows, stepped forward, and scooped up the dazed penguin girl as well. It was clear now. Tonight, with wagyu hotpot as his choice, there was no avoiding where things would lead.
Haru had decided he would no longer remain a vegetarian.
…
—December 15, clear skies—
The reborn Ave Mujica's concert at Budokan had been a complete success. The five members of the band were already performing at a level far beyond the ordinary. Once Sakiko had cast off the burdens in her heart, there was no way the performance could have gone wrong.
But this time, things were different.
Originally, Sakiko had been the one leading the Ave Mujica performance. Yet for once she had taken the unprecedented step of inviting many guests, even the former members of CRYCHIC. She no longer held back from showing her true self to everyone.
The celebration banquet followed as expected.
"…Unbelievable. We were all playing in bands, and yet the difference in level… isn't it just too much? Especially the gap as guitarists. I feel like I've lost the confidence to perform on stage at all!"
"Then you need to practice harder! Put more of your energy into training every day instead of constantly making excuses to run over to Haru's place!"
"Ugh… I-I should be working harder too… maybe I should also cut back on visiting Haru so often…"
"Huh? Tomori, I wasn't talking about you…"
The spacious living room echoed with the chatter of the girls. Holding a tray, Mutsumi silently poured tea for Soyo. Soyo, always polite, quietly thanked her.
This was both Haru's homecoming celebration and Ave Mujica's Budokan afterparty.
Soyo turned her head toward the girl sitting beside her, a blue-haired young woman with twin ponytails draped over her shoulders.
Noticing the glance, the girl seemed nervous. Her hands trembled as she clutched her teacup, and her amber eyes flickered away.
In a sense, this was the first time since CRYCHIC's breakup that Sakiko and Soyo could sit together for tea without fear. The subtle weight of that made Soyo sigh softly, then she took the initiative to break the silence.
"…I honestly didn't think you would agree."
"Th-that much is only natural, isn't it? Because I really do love Haru, from the bottom of my heart."
Sakiko's reply was stiff, her expression forced into composure. Given all the awkward history between them, even if she no longer hid her reasons, there was still some stiffness in the way they interacted.
Back then, because of Haru, Sakiko had scolded Soyo harshly. Soyo had thrown the same reasoning back at her in retaliation, but not long after, that boomerang had come flying back again from Sakiko's own hand.
"You're right. After all, my feelings are nothing like your half-hearted kind, are they?"
Soyo narrowed her deep blue eyes, her deliberately affected and slightly grating tone screeching like fingernails dragged across a blackboard. The sarcasm in her words made Sakiko's face grow more and more stiff.
This woman... she was actually using her own words to mock her?
"…Soyo, you're the same as me. How can you act like nothing ever happened?"
"Oh? I don't know what you mean~ What is little Saki-chan talking about?"
Sakiko stared blankly at the smiling face before her. She could hardly believe Soyo had grown this thick-skinned. How had she never noticed it back when they were bandmates? In just a single year, her personality seemed completely transformed.
Then again, perhaps there was something almost theatrical about it.
They had both once sought to monopolize, each viewing the other as their most troublesome rival in love. Yet here they were now, sitting on the sofa with teacups in hand, trading barbs. In truth, the way they interacted hadn't changed all that much.
"…Even so, I never thought..."
"That after everything, we'd be able to reconcile."
Soyo twirled a strand of her wavy, light brown hair. CRYCHIC, once fractured and scattered, had gathered again. They might no longer belong to the same band, but the bond tying their fates together had returned with destiny-like force.
Yes, their fates were bound together again in the truest sense.
"Soyo, about what happened before… I want to apologize to you once more."
"Well~ if you're that eager to apologize~ how about letting me take your place on a date with Haru for a day?"
"Sorry, that's impossible."
Mutsumi watched their "intimate" exchange with an expressionless face. Her eyes then shifted toward the MyGO girls. Just at that moment, she locked gazes with Tomori. The penguin's cheeks instantly flushed hot, and she hurriedly lowered her head in a fluster.
"Tomori? What's wrong?"
"N-no… I'm fine."
Chihaya Anon tilted her head, frowning slightly as she studied the penguin girl's burning red face. She even reached out to touch her forehead, but after checking for a while, found nothing wrong. Only Yahata Umiri, sitting beside Shiina Taki, blinked slowly in realization.
Umiri sent Mutsumi a questioning look, and the girl quickly averted her eyes in panic.
"Ah..."
Umiri, sharp-eyed as ever, seemed to grasp the truth at once. Her dark green eyes flicked back and forth between Tomori and Mutsumi, then slid casually toward the kitchen. She arched an eyebrow, thoughtful.
"Looks like someone got ahead."
"Umiri? What do you mean, got ahead?"
Misumi Uika leaned forward curiously, even Taki beside her glancing over in interest. But Umiri only smiled faintly, her lips curling ever so slightly, and gave Mutsumi another knowing look.
"…!"
Feeling guilty, the little cucumber clutched her empty tray and hurried back to the kitchen. Within a few breaths her expression had returned to normal. She pretended nothing was wrong as she helped with the dishes, but to Haru, her obvious "nothing to see here" act stood out far too much.
"Mutsumi, you seem to be in a good mood?"
"…Haru, how did you know?"
She blinked at him in surprise, as if shocked that he could see through her so easily.
Her words made Haru's lips twitch. With a helpless sigh, he narrowed his eyes. "How long have we been living together? It's not that hard for me to notice. Besides, your expressions are way more obvious than they used to be."
"Like last night, every little change in your face was as plain as if I could read your mind."
The girl's cheeks turned crimson at once. She muttered under her breath.
"Haru, you're shameless."
"…You dare to call me shameless?"
Unable to resist, Haru pulled Mutsumi into his arms and kissed her. The cucumber melted at once, her pale face flaring a vivid pink, so fresh and inviting it made him want to taste more.
Good thing several days had passed since last time. Otherwise, she wouldn't have had the strength to play at Budokan.