The scent of grilled fish and miso soup drifted through the inn's hallway.
Ren yawned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. After the unexpected futon trap last night, he barely got any sleep. Yui had kicked him in her dreams, Haruka snored softly (surprisingly adorable), and Rika had mumbled "kiss me already, coward" in her sleep.
Now, he stood at the breakfast table, eyes glazed over.
Until—
"Ren-kun, sit with me."Emi's voice, calm but firm.
Ren blinked. She hadn't visited him last night. This was… new.
He nodded and sat beside her. A traditional Japanese breakfast tray was already prepared—rice, grilled salmon, natto, and tamagoyaki.
Across the room—
Yui stiffened.
Haruka glanced up from her tea.
Rika narrowed her eyes, lips still smiling.
Mei quietly picked up a piece of tofu and placed it back down.
For a moment, only the sound of chopsticks tapping porcelain filled the air.
Emi broke the silence. "You slept well?"
"Kind of," Ren said, glancing between the girls. "It was… warm."
"…You mean crowded," Yui muttered.
"Oh, so you slept next to him?" Rika smirked.
"Only because you and Haruka were acting like vultures with hairpins," Yui snapped.
"I was simply defending my claim," Rika replied, unbothered. "If I was in that futon, he'd have woken up smiling."
Ren nearly choked on his miso.
Mei finally spoke, voice low. "This isn't about who slept where."
They turned to her.
"It's about who's trying to win. Who's turning this trip into a competition."
Haruka stood, surprising everyone. Her chopsticks dropped with a loud clack.
"It already is a competition."
A pause.
"…You're finally saying it out loud," Yui said.
Haruka stared at Ren, her voice firm.
"You've made all of us feel special. But the longer you say nothing, the more we wonder if we're just placeholders. That's not fair."
Emi clenched her fists. "He's trying. He just needs time."
"But we don't have time," Rika said coldly. "One trip, one night, one boy. How many moments are we supposed to share before someone breaks?"
Ren stood, voice barely above a whisper. "I never meant to hurt any of you."
"We know," Mei said quietly. "But you are."
The table fell silent again.
Breakfast forgotten.
He looked around—
Yui's eyes burned, not with anger… but with unshed tears.Rika's smile finally cracked at the edges.Haruka wouldn't meet his gaze.Mei sat still, like always… but this time, she wasn't calm.And Emi?
She reached for his hand.He didn't stop her.But he didn't hold it either.
Later, Ren stood on the balcony alone, sea breeze hitting his face.
The slice-of-life trip had become something else entirely.
Not everyone would leave this onsen with a smile.