—Ruyi Dormitory
Standing at the front gate, Eriri gazed at the brightly lit house before her.
She could already faintly hear laughter coming from inside.
Taking a deep breath, she braced herself.
Her eyes were still puffy from crying earlier, but she'd pressed a cold can of Coke against them on the way back to reduce the swelling.
Originally, she'd wanted to put on some makeup to cover it up.
But when she checked her bag, it had nothing but a sketchbook and pens—no concealer, no lip gloss, not even a mirror.
Oh well.
She was a naturally beautiful, once-in-a-generation stunning girl.
Makeup? Totally unnecessary.
This was it—the real battlefield.
She'd walk in there and show them through her attitude that things had changed.
From today onward, they weren't friends anymore.
They were rivals.
No more portraits, no more watching anime together, and definitely no more chatting about school.
That's what she told herself.
Beside her, Kyousuke watched as Eriri straightened her long, snowy-white neck.
An elegant aura seemed to rise naturally from her, and as her eyes widened, he readied himself to jump in and break up a fight if needed.
Not even on her first day moving into Ruyi Dorm had she shown this much intensity.
Something's off… She's acting way too strange today.
'Did... did Utaha possess her or something?'
As he was mulling that over, Eriri suddenly turned back and shouted:
"Hurry up already! What are you standing there for? Waiting for me to walk in first so you can say 'Welcome home'?"
"Huh? That actually sounds kinda nice..." His eyes lit up.
He had a bit of a soft spot for that phrase.
"Idiot. Come on, let's go in together."
She took a step back and grabbed Kyousuke by the wrist.
He blinked in surprise and he realise that her hand was trembling.
'She's that nervous?'
Kyousuke gave a small smile and relaxed a little.
Before Eriri could even open the front door, it swung open from the inside.
Someone had clearly heard the alert from the courtyard gate.
"Kyousuke-kun, Eriri—welcome home."
It was Shouko, her voice accompanied by a radiant and contagious smile.
She held a toy car in one hand, probably from playing with Kasuko.
"Ah… I-I'm back…"
Eriri stammered at first, caught off guard, but eventually returned the smile.
No one could resist smiling back at Shouko's calm, gentle expression.
'Damn it! Why aren't my body and mouth listening to my brain?!'
'This wasn't the plan!'
'I was supposed to march in with a cold stare and overpower her right away!'
'She was supposed to be the easiest one to deal with!'
Fuming internally, Eriri silently handed her handbag to Shouko, who reached out for it.
…Hmm.
'Maybe I can spin this into looking like she's the one surrendering.'
'Wait, no, she's always like this…'
Unless—unless this is her tactic!
Playing all soft and pitiful to confuse the enemy and steal Kyousuke for herself?!
'I never knew she was this cunning!'
"You've had a long day," Kyousuke said, stepping in and giving Eriri a gentle flick on the forehead—snapping her out of her mental spiral.
"Mhm~"
Like the perfect housewife, Shouko shook her head, then took Kyousuke's slippers from the rack.
Normally, he never let her do that kind of thing.
But for some reason, today, she just wanted to.
Mhm~
Well, today kind of counted as his official work debut, didn't it?
A wife welcoming her hardworking husband home—it's just what wives do, right?
'Maybe I should follow up with, "Would you like dinner, a bath, or... me~?"'
Her cheeks turned red as she quickly shook the thought out of her head, then pulled Eriri toward the living room.
As Kyousuke walked in, he saw Sakura and Yukino sitting on the carpet in the center of the room, playing with Kasuko.
His mother was chatting with Kasumigaoka Utaha and Ueno Naoka on the couch.
"I'm back," he said again.
"Welcome back~!" Sakura and the others called out brightly.
"Where's everyone else?" he asked, taking the glass of water Shouko handed him and sitting beside his mom.
"They all went home in the afternoon," Hojou Mikiko replied.
"Hey, Eriri, why do you look so… excited?" Sakura asked suddenly.
"Wha—do I?"
Eriri plopped down on the couch and immediately grabbed a shark-shaped pillow to hide behind.
"Isn't it obvious? She kicked me out just to enjoy a private two-person world with Kyousuke," Utaha grumbled.
"That's not true! You would've just gotten in the way. Kyousuke and I were doing serious business!"
"Eriri's in a really good mood!"
Kasuko toddled over, tiptoeing and resting her tiny face on the pillow in Eriri's lap, staring up at her.
"Not happy at all! Work is the most painful thing in the whole world!"
Eriri tossed the pillow aside and scooped Kasuko into her arms, beginning to rant about the hellish torment of deadlines.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Momotarou stretching nearby.
She promptly kicked him in the butt.
[Hey now! Your joy is all over your face—it's not like I'm the only one who noticed.]
The dog grumbled before trotting over to circle his aniki's feet, wagging his tail.
Watching Eriri laugh non-stop between Sakura and Shouko, Kyousuke let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Yeah… she's still the same lovable idiot.
"Kyousuke-kun, everything go smoothly at the company?" Shouko leaned against the armrest beside him, whispering quietly.
Even though Kyousuke had said earlier that everything was resolved, and Kasumigaoka had explained most of it around lunch, Shouko couldn't help but worry.
She'd spent the whole afternoon wondering if he needed her support.
Honestly, she'd been pretty jealous of Katou Megumi showing up again.
If it weren't for her mom and little sister, she'd have rushed over herself.
"Shou-chan was so worried she even got the size wrong while we were shopping!" Mikiko said teasingly.
"It wasn't a mistake! I just… grew a little more!" Shouko blushed furiously as she tried to explain.
"Whaaat?! You're still growing?!" Naoka looked up in disbelief.
"J-just a tiny bit!"
"Shou-chan!!!" came a cry of pure anguish.
"Thanks for worrying about me," Kyousuke said gently.
Tilting his head, he leaned just enough to brush against Shouko's soft shoulder and looked up at her calm, gentle face.
"Mhm~ There's no need to apologize," Shouko replied with a soft smile.
Then, noticing a stain on his shirt, she paused.
She recognized it immediately.
After all, she'd cried in Kyousuke's arms before too.
Turning her head, she looked toward Eriri—who was now grinning ear to ear, passionately retelling the tale of how she singlehandedly schooled Kosaka Akane.
Her excitement practically made her golden ponytail flutter like a banner of victory.
Not a trace of someone who had just cried.
But Shouko didn't find it strange at all.
Because that's just the kind of person Kyousuke was.
The tears you shed in his arms always turn into even greater happiness.
"I'm going to go change. You guys listen to Eriri's story in the meantime," Kyousuke said, having noticed the thoughtful look on Shouko's face.
"Mhm, no rush. Yukino and I made you some late-night snacks," Shouko nodded softly.
As her son disappeared upstairs, Mikiko gently pulled Shouko closer and teased with a warm smile, "You're already acting like a wife, Shou-chan~"
'Huh???'
Utaha raised an eyebrow in surprise.
That line... hadn't she heard it before? But—wasn't it supposed to be said to her?
Realizing what was happening, she immediately leaned in and spoke up.
"Mikiko Auntie, how about I take you and Kasuko to Hikari City tomorrow? My parents were thrilled to hear you were in Tokyo. They really want to thank you for everything you've done for me."
"Thank me? But you're the one who's been taking care of me," Mikiko said sincerely.
This girl—Kasumigaoka Utaha had done everything to surprise Kyousuke.
She had even offered to cover her own plane tickets, not to mention how she handled everything with that Ishida Hidenori situation.
She helped out at the studio this morning, then rushed back in the afternoon to go shopping with her.
"Kyousuke has helped me so much—both with work and life. Without him, I would've fallen apart ages ago," Utaha said as she snuggled closer and hugged Mikiko's arm with a dazzling smile.
"Well then, shouldn't you thank Kyousuke properly?" Mikiko said with a sly blink.
"Th-that goes without saying! Of course I've thanked him!"
Utaha blushed furiously, her mind immediately spiraling into vivid and unmentionable mental images.
"But Kyousuke wouldn't have turned out this well without your guidance, Auntie. Your parenting must've played a huge role!"
She leaned in earnestly, activating the second phase of her plan.
First, she'd bring Mikiko back to her hometown and introduce her to her parents.
Then, she'd get her editor Machida to ask if Mikiko was interested in publishing a book on parenting.
After all, for any mother, nothing was more flattering than being told she raised an outstanding child.
Utaha was sure of it!
"My, my~ As expected of a writer—you sure know how to flatter," Mikiko said with a knowing chuckle.
"I'm not flattering you—I mean every word. After spending time with Kyousuke, I keep thinking I need to learn parenting from you myself."
"Parenting, huh? Well, Kyousuke's always been a clever boy. Let me tell you—"
"Oh, you mean even back then—?"
"Yes, exactly…"
The conversation continued all the way until bedtime, never once losing momentum.
And even though Mikiko and Utaha were clearly leading the discussion, they didn't leave anyone out.
Shouko, Eriri, Yukino, Naoka—everyone joined in cheerfully, laughing nonstop as more and more of Kyousuke's embarrassing childhood stories were laid bare.
On the other couch, Kyousuke sat helplessly with Sakura, trying to distract Kasuko from all the teasing by playing with her.
"Hey," he finally said when Kasuko yawned wide. "You guys do remember there's school tomorrow, right?"
While most students in Japan stayed up late, Ruyi Dorm had always kept a healthier sleep routine.
Mikiko glanced at the wall clock—it was already 11 p.m.
She quickly swallowed the story she was about to tell about Kyousuke wetting the bed on his birthday from drinking too many yogurt drinks as a kid.
"We'll save the rest for tomorrow. I can't believe I actually raised such a mischievous kid into someone so admirable. Honestly, I feel kinda proud," she said with a content smile.
And why wouldn't she be?
Every one of Kyousuke's "girlfriends" was a perfect daughter-in-law candidate!
"Come on, let's get moving. Kasuko's already nodding off," Kyousuke said in exasperation.
Kids had underdeveloped bodies—wetting the bed was totally normal, okay?
"Oh my, Kyousuke isn't cute at all anymore. Good thing I have Kasuko now~"
Joking playfully, Mikiko said goodnight to everyone, giving each of her "daughters-in-law" a warm farewell.
"Goodnight, Mikiko Auntie," Utaha waved sweetly.
"See you tomorrow, Kasuko," Eriri beamed with a glowing smile.
Just then, someone dashed past the two of them.
"Wait for me! I'm sleeping over tonight!"
Yamauchi Sakura called out, already scooping Kasuko out of Mikiko's arms.
"Ah~ this takes me back. It's been ages since we shared a bed, huh? Was it fifth grade last time?"
Mikiko naturally linked arms with Sakura, laughing joyfully.
"Nope~ The last time was sixth grade—when my parents went back to our hometown," Sakura said with a playful tone, her face lighting up.
"Ohh, that's right! That time you tried to take a bath with Kyousuke and got kicked out!"
"He's always been stingy like that!"
"Fufufufu~"
"…"
As the sounds of footsteps going up the stairs faded and a door closed with a soft click, the smile on Eriri's face began to stiffen.
What the hell was that?!
Someone explain to me—how is that even allowed?!
Since when was this kind of move legal?!
Why didn't my mom ever tell me about this?!
Clenching her small fists, Eriri grit her teeth so hard she almost cracked a molar.
As expected, Sakura had just been putting on an act earlier—using the moment Eriri let her guard down to launch that kind of attack.
Damn it, she fell right into the trap!
The moment Eriri remembered how happy she'd looked while chatting with Yamauchi Sakura, she couldn't stop herself from wanting to punch—no, gently punch—Kyousuke a couple of times!
Hitting herself would hurt too much, and hitting Kyousuke wasn't exactly fair… so, just a light punch would do!
'Aaaahhh! So frustrating!'
This overwhelming, unreasonable power from a childhood friend stirred a helpless kind of anger in her.
Childhood friends never win in the end anyway!
The rightful heroine is always the one who descends from the skies!
Like running into each other in the crowds of Akihabara—the classic prince and princess story—that's how it's supposed to go!
With that thought, she lowered her head, scanning the floor for that fuzzy little thing.
Bathing together...!?
It's already the 21st century!
Stuff like mixed bathing is only for old people living deep in the mountains!
Kyousuke isn't some helpless idiot who needs help bathing.
And scrubbing his back? That's something only I should be allowed to do!
With a towel on, my figure soaking wet—no one could look better than me in that situation!
If I asked to bathe with Kyousuke, there's no way he'd refuse!
Still, Yamauchi Sakura, you're way too sneaky!
Why didn't I think of pulling that move!?
Ugh, so frustrating! That's it—tomorrow night, I'm sleeping with Aunt Mikiko too!
"Hey, Shouko, didn't you also meet Kyousuke back in elementary school?" Eriri suddenly remembered, turning a sharp gaze toward Nishimiya Shouko.
Hearing that, Kasumigaoka also turned her head to look.
"Um… actually, I was there that time Sakura mentioned. She dragged me into the bath with her," Shouko admitted, her face flushing as she spoke.
"WHAT!? How come I've never heard about this before!?"
Ueno Naoka's eyes widened in disbelief.
She had known Kyousuke the longest—way before Shouko transferred in during sixth grade, or Sakura in third!
"I think you were taking care of your family at the time," Shouko said, tapping her cheek as she tried to recall.
"Shou-chan, you're sneaky too," Eriri muttered, giving Nishimiya Shouko a complicated look.
"As much as I hate to admit it… I actually agree with Sawamura for once," Kasumigaoka said, arms crossed as she also stared at Shouko.
If Eriri hadn't suddenly blurted out that question, all their attention would've stayed on Yamauchi Sakura.
But their biggest enemy… was still Sakura, who had already gone off to sleep with Aunt Mikiko.
Thinking that, she turned to look for Kyousuke, wanting to ask if he'd like her to scrub his back too. But when she turned around, she realized—
"Huh? Where's Kyousuke?"
"Kyousuke-kun? He's already gone back to his room with the late-night snacks," Yukari said with a soft smile. Then, after a pause, she added:
"Oh, and he said he'd get up early to make breakfast tomorrow."
That graceful, classic beauty's face lit up with happiness.
Her long lashes fluttered, glowing with quiet joy.
Tonight, I'm the only one who got to hear Kyousuke-kun say goodnight.