It was Haruto's turn to feel nervous.
A week after their study session, Aoi had texted him:
> "Study date at my house this time! 10 AM sharp! Don't be late~ đź©·"
The word date had made his brain short-circuit for a full ten minutes.
Now, standing outside her gate with his bag slung over his shoulder, he wondered if he'd made the right decision.
The moment he rang the doorbell, the sound of chaos greeted him.
Dogs barking. Kids yelling. Aoi shouting something about "don't touch that!"
The door swung open.
"Haruto-kun!" Aoi greeted, beaming — flour on her cheeks, apron tied around her waist, and a whisk still in hand. "You made it! Sorry, it's kinda… lively today."
He blinked. "That's… one way to put it."
Before he could step in, a small boy peeked from behind her legs.
"Is this your boyfriend, onee-chan?"
Haruto nearly dropped his bag.
Aoi's face turned scarlet. "R-Ren! Don't say weird stuff!"
The boy just grinned and ran off yelling, "Mom! Aoi brought her boyfriend!"
Aoi groaned. "He's six. Please ignore him."
Haruto, still flustered, managed a stiff nod. "Uh… right."
---
Inside was a whirlwind of warmth and noise.
The aroma of cookies filled the air, and sunlight streamed through lace curtains.
Aoi's house was colorful — mismatched furniture, family photos everywhere, and a cozy mess that somehow suited her perfectly.
"Sorry it's so chaotic," she said, wiping her hands on her apron. "We were baking for the neighborhood bake sale tomorrow."
"You made all these?" Haruto asked, eyeing trays of cookies on the table — star-shaped, heart-shaped, and a few that looked… unidentifiable.
"Mostly," she said proudly. "Ren helped too. He calls that one a 'spaceship cookie,' but I think it's just burned."
He chuckled despite himself. "It's… creative."
She smiled, clearly pleased. "Anyway, let's study before the kitchen explodes again."
---
They settled at the dining table.
Aoi leaned forward, chewing on her pencil as Haruto explained chemical equations.
"So, the hydrogen bonds with the oxygen to form—"
"Cookies!" she interrupted suddenly.
He blinked. "What?"
"Sorry! I was thinking about cookies," she admitted sheepishly. "But hydrogen bonding is kind of like baking, right? You mix the right stuff together, and it forms something new!"
He paused. "…That's actually not a bad analogy."
She gasped. "Wait, did I just say something smart?!"
He smiled slightly. "It happens sometimes."
She pouted, but her eyes sparkled with amusement. "You're getting sassier, Haruto-kun."
"Only when you deserve it."
---
A while later, Aoi's mom peeked in.
"Oh! So you're Haruto! Aoi's told us so much about you."
Haruto froze. "S-she has?"
"Mom!" Aoi yelped, nearly knocking over her notebook. "Don't say things like that!"
Her mom just laughed warmly. "Stay for lunch, dear. We're making curry!"
Haruto blinked. "Oh, I wouldn't want to—"
But Aoi had already grabbed his sleeve. "You're staying! Mom makes the best curry ever!"
He sighed but smiled faintly. "Alright. Just this once."
---
Lunch turned into laughter.
Ren tried to feed Haruto a cookie shaped like a dinosaur ("for strength!"), and Aoi's mom kept teasing her about "nice boys who help with homework."
Aoi retaliated by flicking rice at her brother, who declared war with a spoon.
For Haruto — who lived in a quiet, orderly home — it was overwhelming… but strangely comforting.
He hadn't realized how lonely silence could be until now.
As he helped Aoi wash the dishes afterward, she glanced up at him.
"Thanks for coming, Haruto-kun. I know my family's a bit crazy."
He shook his head. "They're… nice. It's kind of refreshing."
She smiled softly, and for a brief moment, the usual spark in her eyes softened into something warmer.
"I'm glad you think so."
They stood there for a second too long, surrounded by the sound of clinking dishes and laughter from the next room.
Then Ren's voice interrupted:
"Are you two gonna kiss or what!?"
"REN!!!"
---
Haruto left that afternoon with a smile he couldn't quite hide.
As he walked home, he realized something had changed — something small but undeniable.
He wasn't just helping Aoi study anymore.
He was starting to fall for her.