After finishing the homework, Ren stretched his arms and said, "That's enough for today. We'll do the rest tomorrow. Man, I'm starving. Come on, dinner's ready outside—everyone's eating."
Ayane and Arashi followed him out, but the moment they stepped into the hallway, they noticed something unusual. The house was livelier than before. Four of their other cousins—Elara, Seraphine, Lyanna, and Aurelia—had arrived to visit Grandpa.
Ren greeted them casually, but Arashi didn't even bother. He walked past without a word, keeping his eyes ahead as if they weren't even there. His cousins, however, barely reacted. They already knew Arashi was like this—someone who rarely greeted or tried to make small talk. So, they didn't pay much attention and went back to their own conversations.
When they entered the dining area, Arashi froze for a second. The long table was crowded—every seat was taken by the girls. Ren turned to Ayane and said, "You should go sit here with them; we don't have space here." With no choice, Arashi and Ren quietly picked up their plates and went back to their room to eat in silence.
As they sat down, Ren looked a little disappointed. "Man, I wanted to sit out there."
But Arashi, to his own surprise, felt a wave of relief. The thought of being surrounded by so many girls at once made his stomach tighten. Eating in the quiet of their room felt much safer.
Arashi said, "Yeah, I know you wanted to sit with Ayane, but come on—you should have a little shame. You're a guy sitting all alone, and all those girls around… wouldn't that make you nervous or uncomfortable? Don't be so shameless."
Ren laughed it off. "What shame are you talking about? I want to sit with Ayane. I want her to feed me with her own hand, and imagine me slipping my hand under the table to hold hers soft hands—how fun would that be?"
"Cut it out and just eat," Arashi snapped. "And if you regret it that much, take your plate and go sit outside. I'm staying in here — it's peaceful enough for me."
As they started eating, Arashi asked, "Ren, tell me—how did Ayane even talk to you when you first met? She's even more introverted than I am."
Ren chuckled. "She didn't. I did."
Arashi frowned. "Wait, but you told me she reached out to you first."
Ren confused. "Did I? Must've slipped my tongue. Anyway, listen—I already knew her from before, and I was just waiting for a perfect opportunity to reach her and when I saw her, I just couldn't wait. I thought, this is the perfect chance. So I went up to her and started the conversation."
Arashi raised an eyebrow. "And she actually talked to you?"
Ren sighed, remembering. "At first, she looked… uncomfortable. Like she didn't know how to react. I thought maybe I made a mistake."
But then, Ayane's mother happened to walk over. Her eyes lit up in recognition. "Oh, Ren, right? Your mother was just telling me your grades have been slipping lately. You used to be such a good student. She asked me what can I do—so we've decided that from now on, you and my daughter, Ayane, will study together."
That moment changed everything. From then onward, Ren and Ayane began studying side by side. In the beginning, Ayane looked stiff and uneasy every time he sat near her. The silence was heavy, and she barely made eye contact. But with time, little by little, she grew more comfortable. The awkwardness faded, replaced by a quiet understanding between them.
Arashi smirked. "Wow, that's something, Ren. But listen, go grab some water from outside, will you? You know I can't stand crowded places. You know me."
Ren leaned back casually. "Come on, man. Victory lies beyond fear. I'm not going for water—you are. Time to boost your confidence."
Arashi groaned. "Please, just this once—"
But Ren shook his head firmly. Finally, Arashi sighed. "Fine… then at least tell me a plan. How do I even go out there?"
Ren grinned and pointed toward the door. "Simple. Just head that way. As soon as Arashi took a step forward, Ren suddenly pushed him out and slammed the door shut. From inside, Ren called, 'Best of luck!'
Arashi froze, heart racing, but forced himself to move. Step by step, he made his way into the kitchen. He quickly pulled a bottle of water from the fridge. Just as he turned to leave, something caught his eye.
"In the corner of the room sat Ayane, quiet and withdrawn. Arashi's cousins laughed among themselves, completely absorbed in their own fun. No one noticed her sitting there, an empty plate in front of her."
Seeing her like that struck something deep inside Arashi. Memories of his own childhood came rushing back—how he too would sit silently, never asking for food, never speaking up, never daring to reach out. And even now, he wasn't much different but he made progress.
Without thinking, he quietly picked up a plate and filled it with food. Just as he was about to leave, Seraphine suddenly walked in and spotted him.
"Arashi?" She raised an eyebrow.
He stammered, "I-I just came for food, nothing else. I'm leaving now."
Seraphine laughed softly. "You haven't changed at all. Why are you so nervous? I didn't even ask you for an explanation."
Arashi muttered, "Forget it. I'm just… weird. Anyway, I'll see you later." And before she could say another word, he rushed back to his room.
As soon as he stepped inside, Arashi's breathing was heavy. His chest rose and fell like he had run a mile.
Ren looked up at him and smirked. "Well done. We're making progress."
Ren glanced at Arashi, concerned. "Hey, why's your breathing so heavy?"
Arashi shook his head, trying to sound casual. "Nothing… I just… met Seraphine for a bit, that's all. You know how it is, just… move on."
Ren smirked knowingly. "Just as I expected." Then he noticed the extra plate Arashi had. "Hey, and this second plate… who's that for?"
Arashi held it up. "For me."
Ren laughed. "Wow, since when did you start eating so much?"
Arashi shrugged. "Not much… just… a little time has passed."
A short while later, Ayane entered the room. She hesitated for a moment before asking softly, "May I come in?"
Ren grinned. "Why not?"
Arashi nodded in agreement.
Ayane gave a small bow, her voice trembling slightly. "S-sorry if I interrupted your… your conversation."
Ren waved her off. "No, not at all."
Arashi placed the extra plate in front of Ayane. "I noticed you weren't eating," he said gently. "So I got an extra plate for you. I knew you'd come here, so… enjoy."
Ayane's cheeks immediately flushed a deep shade of pink. She looked down for a moment, then back at Arashi, trying to hide her surprise, and a faint, shy smile appeared. She felt warmth in her chest and a flutter she couldn't quite control.
Ren shot Arashi a side glance. "I knew something was fishy, but still… thank you, man."
Ayane nodded quickly. "Yes… thank you so much." She picked up the plate and began eating with genuine delight, though she was still a little shy.
While eating she was thinking. "He… he actually noticed I wasn't eating. And he brought this just for me… that's so thoughtful. I never expected someone to pay this much attention. He's… different from what I imagined. Why does it make my heart feel like this? I want to say thank you properly… but I don't know how. I'm… really happy right now."
After finishing her plate, Ayane said, "Wow, that was amazing! Thanks, Arashi."
Arashi smiled lightly. "You're welcome."
Ren quickly added, "Sorry, Ayane. I completely forgot to keep an eye on things. I should have paid more attention—my bad."
Ayane shook her head and laughed softly. "No, it's fine. We all make mistakes from time to time. It's okay."
The three of them settled back down, chatting casually. Ren was in the middle of telling one of his stories when suddenly Arashi's phone rang. It was Miyu calling.
Ren smirked. "Well, my story's been interrupted. Arashi, your punishment—put it on speaker and deal with it."
Arashi nodded, knowing Miyu would be harmless, and activated the speaker. From the background, a rapid voice began calling out: "Hello, Mr. Arashi! Hello! Hello, Arashi! Arashi! Arashi!"
Ren and Ayane watched him with amused expressions.
Arashi cleared his throat nervously. "H-hello?"
Miyu's voice softened slightly. "How are you, Arashi? Tell me… it's been so long since I heard your voice. Where have you been? We thought you'd forgotten us!"
Arashi's chest tightened and his hands felt a little clammy. He was caught between embarrassment, excitement, and the nervous energy of being put on the spot. His heart raced as he tried to keep his voice steady over the speaker.
He glanced at Ayane and noticed her staring at him in a strange way—an expression he couldn't quite read. "Uh… what's wrong?" he asked.
She tilted her head, her eyes playful yet teasing. "Nothing… I'm just… observing what disappointment looks like."
Arashi blinked, confused. "Disappointment? What did I do?"
Ayane's voice was calm but teasing. Miyu, listening in on the speaker, chuckled. "Looks like it's a girl thinks this is the perfect time to tease Arashi!"
After that, Miyu says, "Arashi, are you with another girl? Why did you do this? You cheated on your girlfriend! Aren't you ashamed? We swore to live and die together, and yet you betrayed me. Who is this girl?"
Arashi replies, "What are you talking about? Hey, my phone is on speaker, and this girl is not my girlfriend at all, so stop messing around."
Miyu says, "What… but if it was on speaker, then why didn't you tell me?"
Arashi says, "Just let it go."
Miyu says, "Alright, teasing you was my mission, and now that it's accomplished, none of this matters."
Arashi says, "Now these people understand that we're boyfriend and girlfriend."
Miyu clears the misunderstanding: "I was just teasing Arashi. And this girl sitting with him—I thought she was his girlfriend, so I tried to tease both of them. Arashi and I are just best friends, don't get the wrong idea."
Ren says, "Alright, no problem. I know how much fun it is to tease Arashi."
Arashi says, "And Ayane is not my girlfriend."
Miyu says, "Okay, bye."
After the call ends, Arashi thinks to himself, "Wow, that was really unexpected. She imagines so many things wrongly, like thinking Ayane is my girlfriend. But in the end, everything is cleared up."
Then
Ayane quietly says, "If… we were… I don't know, more than friends… would that be… wrong?"
Ren asks, "Why are you speaking so quietly?"
Ayane replies softly, "Oh, it's nothing… forget it."
Arashi blinks, slightly stunned. "Wait… what did she just say? Did she really just… think about that? Besides I don't have any kind of feelings for her. And she's my cousin's crush—I would never even consider that. Maybe I'm overthinking it… she didn't mean it like that."