Because of the holiday, Mai spent the whole day at home. Deep down, she'd considered heading to Tokyo Station to join her daughter in welcoming Haruto's family—but guilt held her back.
She was well aware of the inappropriate relationship between herself and Haruto. The thought of facing his mother filled her with unease. Would that woman be able to sense something she shouldn't? Torn by these complicated feelings, she ultimately chose not to go. Now that her daughter had returned, however, she couldn't help but ask about Haruto's family.
Having left the house in the morning and only returned in the late afternoon, Setsuna felt drained—not physically, but mentally. She had remained fully alert the entire time, knowing she was meeting people important to someone she cared about.
Now back home, the moment she relaxed, fatigue washed over her. Without saying a word to the mother seated on the sofa with a remote in hand, she headed straight for her room.
Door opens. Door closes.
Left alone in the living room, Mai frowned at her daughter's aloof behavior. She set down the remote and got up, making her way to Setsuna's door. The moment she opened it, she caught sight of her daughter changing—slipping out of her dress and into the more comfortable loungewear she usually wore at home.
Setsuna walked past her mother as if nothing had happened, taking a seat in the living room.
"Hmm?"
"Haruto's little sister is pretty lively, but she's sweet," Setsuna began. "His mom..."
She paused. Her silence made Mai raise an eyebrow, suspicion creeping onto her face.
"His mom looks elegant and graceful. She speaks gently too. A truly admirable woman."
"What, am I not admirable?"
Veins popped on Mai's forehead. She reached out and grabbed Setsuna's cheeks, pulling and squishing them with a grumble of irritation.
"Mm—mm—mmm!"
Setsuna groaned helplessly until her mother finally vented all her frustration. Once freed, she rubbed her sore cheeks.
"When do you plan to meet her?"
"Since you're back, does that mean they're in Haruto's apartment now?"
"Mhm."
Mai glanced in the direction of Haruto's apartment and let out a sigh. Meeting his family was inevitable, but the "when" of it all still made her uneasy. She was a grown woman—a mother, no less—but at this moment, her heart felt oddly unsettled.
Even when facing her own family, she never felt this conflicted.
"We'll deal with it… when the time comes," she muttered.
She ignored her daughter's subtle look and leaned back on the couch, like a soldier finally laying down her arms.
Meanwhile, Mitsuha couldn't stay still. Her brother's apartment was a new world for her. She'd examined every corner, and now stood out on the balcony, gazing at the surrounding buildings and apartments with a gleam in her eye.
"This is the big city! A real, bustling metropolis! There's a convenience store right there—so different from Itomori! Back home, it takes at least half an hour just to get to the nearest store."
Her eyes sparkled as she soaked in the view. Even the vending machine at the corner brought back memories—how she and Yotsuha used to treat the one back in town like a makeshift café. Compared to that, this was paradise.
"This really is the big city…"
She stood in silence for a while, then wandered back inside with a sigh. She spotted their mom checking the fridge while Haruto sat at his desk.
"Isn't this room a bit small?" Mitsuha asked. "Wait, don't tell me I have to sleep in here with you tonight? No way!"
"Sorry to disappoint, but there's only one bed. We'll have to make do with futons on the floor."
"Unbelievable… Hey, you've got a part-time job or something, right? Since you're earning money, why not get me and Mom a nice room at some fancy hotel with an ocean view? I can already see it—sipping wine at night, gazing at the lights over Tokyo Bay..."
As Mitsuha hugged herself and drifted into her luxurious fantasy, Haruto couldn't bring himself to pop her bubble. He left his desk and walked over to their mother by the fridge.
"Something wrong?" he asked.
"Hm?" Futaba turned to look at her son and smiled gently.
"I was just checking whether you've been paying attention to your diet. I know you're not like Mitsuha—you're usually careful about nutrition. But living alone, I do worry. Do you resort to quick meals because of your busy school schedule?"
"You mean like instant noodles?"
"Exactly. And other fast food. Life in the big city is convenient, but it's easy to lose yourself."
If it had been any ordinary teenage boy fresh from the countryside, perhaps that would be a concern. But Haruto had lived in the city for over ten years. He wasn't like those naive kids.
"I don't always have time to cook, true. So I often eat at Setsuna's place."
"Oh? Sounds like you two are close. I remember you mentioned Setsuna lives in a single-parent home?"
"Yeah, she lives with her mom, Mai-san. Just the two of them. They're in the apartment across from ours."
Futaba followed his gaze out to the opposite building. She had no idea which apartment belonged to the Kiyora family, but hearing his words, she felt it necessary to at least pay a visit to express her gratitude.
Not for romantic reasons—but simply as a matter of good neighborliness.
"What about your other neighbors? Have you introduced yourself properly?"
Haruto paused, a slightly awkward look on his face. Under his mother's gentle but persistent gaze, he gave an honest answer.
"I've thought about it, but… the person next door is hardly ever home. They leave early, come home late, and I haven't had the chance to say hello."
"Not even during holidays?"
"They don't seem to take holidays."
Thinking back, he realized that even in his past memories of living there, he'd barely seen the person next door.
Futaba was surprised, but quickly dropped the topic. She trusted her son's character—he could handle neighborly relations on his own.
As the room fell into a peaceful silence, Mitsuha, annoyed at being ignored, sprawled out on his bed. She stared up at the ceiling, mentally going over all the things she wanted to do during her stay in Tokyo.
She'd written it all down in her notebook, but in her rush to leave, she'd forgotten to pack it. Now, she could only remember bits and pieces—most of them impulsive ideas she hadn't even thought through.
After lying on the bed for a while, Mitsuha suddenly sat up and quietly scooted over to her brother. She reached out and lightly placed her hand on his shoulder.
Even with the difference in their height, she could easily reach his shoulder. She gave it a gentle pat, drawing his attention, then subtly gestured for him to lean in closer.
Haruto, having a vague idea of what this might be about, watched Mitsuha lower her head slightly. He leaned in, bringing his ear close to her, curious about what she wanted to say.
"You don't have anything to do this afternoon, right? You're not planning to stay cooped up here all day, are you?"
"Where do you want to go?"
"No, it's not that I want to go. But Mom came all the way to Tokyo—you're not seriously thinking of keeping her stuck in this tiny room all day, then just sending her back to Itomori, are you?"
Haruto hadn't exactly thought that far ahead. Before Mitsuha and his mom came to Tokyo, he had been planning to show them around the city. But now that Mitsuha had brought it up herself, he couldn't resist teasing her a little.
"Hard to say. At the very least, Mom seems perfectly content to spend the whole day here. It's someone else who seems to be getting restless after only a few minutes. Isn't this your beloved Tokyo? What, don't even have the patience to sit down for a bit?"
"It's because it's Tokyo that I can't sit still!"
Mitsuha didn't even bother to argue. She just admitted it outright. Watching her get worked up so quickly made Haruto chuckle under his breath.
"Why don't we take Mom out for a walk nearby? We're in Bunkyo Ward—there are lots of universities around here. Head west and there's Ochanomizu Women's University, Tsukuba, Waseda… you know, all those famous schools you always hear about. And if we go east, there's the University of Tokyo."
Haruto paused when he mentioned the University of Tokyo, then glanced sideways at Mitsuha.
"...What're you looking at me for?"
Caught off guard by his gaze, Mitsuha's cheeks turned red.
"Didn't someone once say she'd get into Tokyo University and come to the city with her head held high?"
"..."
She hadn't expected him to remember that. Mitsuha bit her lip, let out a quiet "tsk," then turned away, avoiding his gaze. She had been just a kid back then. Saying something like that was totally normal, right?
She stole a glance back at Haruto, trying hard to dig up some equally embarrassing "big talk" from his past—but her memory came up blank. As infuriating as it was, he'd always been surprisingly grounded, never making reckless claims.
Damn it.
"At least I had a dream once! You never even dared to dream, you coward!"
An unexpected counterattack. Haruto studied her expression for a moment, then gave a small nod.
"Fair enough. I admit, Tokyo University's always been a bit of a stretch for me. That's why I aimed for something a bit more realistic—like Wasedea or Gakushuin."
"..."
When it came to grades, no matter how hard Mitsuha worked, she couldn't change the fact that Haruto always did better. It was precisely because of that that he'd been able to leave Itomori and study alone in Tokyo.
But someone like her, with average grades... Lately, when the topic of her coming to Tokyo came up at home, all she got in response was a gentle smile from Mom.
She glanced over at their mother, who was still looking around Haruto's apartment with quiet curiosity, and her mood visibly dropped.
Futaba watched from the corner of the room, listening to the exchange between her son and daughter. Though it had been over a month since she'd last seen them, it felt just like home. The way they talked, the way they bickered—nothing had really changed.
She could tell her son had matured a little. But considering he'd been living alone in Tokyo for over a month, a bit of change was only natural. It would've been stranger if he hadn't changed at all. This was his first time away from Itomori, living completely on his own.
"Well, if Mitsuha wants to go out, then let's go out. I've got a few errands to run anyway. Haruto, you go with her."
"Then how about Mitsuha and I go with you first? We'll help you with your errands, and after that, we can go shopping. You're not that familiar with Tokyo, right?"
The moment Haruto heard that his mom was going to go out alone, all his attention shifted to her. The last thing he wanted was for her to get lost in a city like this.
"No need to worry. I've already contacted a friend—she's nearby. She'll pick me up and drop me off later."
"..."
He hesitated for a moment at the warmth in her smile, then nodded silently.
"Got it. If anything comes up, just call me."
"Okay. If I do get lost, I'll be counting on you."
She gave him a gentle smile, then turned to her daughter. Mitsuha immediately ducked behind his back.
"Listen to your brother, okay? Make sure you stick with him."
"I know..."
Mitsuha understood that if she threw a tantrum now, she'd probably be left behind. So she obediently nodded and wrapped both arms around Haruto's arm, showing that she'd behave and stay close.
Just as Futaba was about to say something else, a ringtone interrupted the moment. But it wasn't Haruto's phone.
"Oh, it's mine."
Futaba picked up her red phone and glanced at the caller ID. Then she looked at Haruto.
"Hm?"
"I'm stepping outside to take this."
"Spare key."
He handed her the spare key from his drawer—the one he'd pretended to send back home when he lied to Sekai. Then, taking Mitsuha by the hand, he headed straight for the door.