"What about this one?"
Haru picked up a smooth, crescent-shaped stone from beneath some leaves. It looked just like a moon suspended in the sky.
Tomori's eyes lit up as she gently took it from his hand. A soft smile curved her lips.
After a moment of hesitation, she pulled out a small bandage from her pocket and offered it.
It had a chubby little penguin with pale yellow hair printed on it—cutely clumsy, just like her.
Haru instinctively said its name.
"A Yellow-Eyebrowed Penguin?"
"You know it?! Their golden feathers are so special! This one's an Emperor Penguin, and this one is a Speckled Beak Penguin! The white circle around the eyes makes it look extra cute, and this one—"
Prompted by just a few words, Tomori began to chatter excitedly, showing off her little collection.
[Your straightforward approach connected perfectly with Tomori. She'd always felt her hobbies and personality were "weird" and "pointless." She never expected to meet someone who'd truly understand.]
[Perhaps for the first time, she found someone who could accept her strange little world, and in that moment, her shyness melted away.]
[You and Takamatsu Tomori are now friends.]
"Looks like I made the right call..."
Haru let out a long breath. Haru
Good thing he didn't wait and chose to approach her directly. Who knew how long it would've taken for Tomori to open up otherwise?
Becoming friends so quickly meant this route was off to a solid start.
[Another new day begins. As always, you drank a glass of milk before bed at 11 p.m. and headed to school full of energy. There, you found yourself deep in discussion with Tomori Takamatsu, the girl you'd just grown closer to, about which end of a chocolate twist pastry should be eaten first.]
[You're known as a popular figure at school, rarely forming close bonds with others. So your recent closeness with Tomori naturally drew curious glances from those around you. But you've long since grown used to the background hum of gossip and paid it no mind.]
[Lunchtime arrives, and you decide—]
1. Invite Tomori Takamatsu to eat together and recommend the chocolate twist pastry from the cafeteria.
2. Do what you always do—find a quiet spot and eat alone.
3. Skip class and head to Shimokitazawa for a bit of wandering.
4. Enter virtual reality and simulate it yourself.
Without a moment's hesitation, Kazami Haru chose the first option.
Based on the timing, Chihaya Anon, the guitarist should also be on her way back from her escape in London.
Once Tomori finally forms a real band of her own, her life will naturally fall into place.
Even if the journey there is a bit complicated.
[You choose to invite Tomori Takamatsu to eat together.]
[But before you could even speak, she approached you instead. Gently tugging at your sleeve, she shyly asked if you'd eat with her.]
[You had planned to invite her anyway, there was no way you could refuse. The worry on her face was written plainly in her expression. To reject someone as adorably timid and self-conscious as Tomori would be a crime beyond forgiveness.]
[So, you gladly accepted her invitation.]
"This is my first time eating lunch with someone else."
Tomori Takamatsu's lips curled in a soft smile, joy lighting up her face.
As both the president and sole member of the astronomy club, she had carefully led Kazami Haru to their small, secluded activity room.
Despite its tiny size, the room was perfectly tidy—a reflection of how seriously she took the club. Even alone, she kept it spotless.
"I usually just eat chocolate twist pastries, so that's all I can share with you."
"It's fine. I'll share my lunch with you instead."
Tomori gently shook her head and placed her bento box in front of Haru.
Her lips, pink like cherry blossom petals, barely parted. Her pale golden eyes shimmered like jewels as she leaned forward, long dark lashes trembling. Her gaze was filled with nervous anticipation.
No matter how you looked at her, Tomori Takamatsu was undeniably beautiful.
Maybe her mother knew how little she ate, because her bento was smaller than most girls'.
If she shared any of it, there wouldn't be much left.
But the hope in her eyes made it impossible for Haru to say no.
"Then I'll help myself."
Haru finally took a bite of a small octopus-shaped sausage, and saw a radiant smile bloom on her face. In turn, Tomori began tasting the chocolate twist pastry he'd recommended, wearing a comically serious expression as she evaluated it.
That serious look on her usually dreamy face only made her seem even cuter.
[Your relationship with her is clearly blossoming, perhaps things are finally starting to look up.]
[The next day, you sense there's something Tomori wants to say. But she still hasn't spoken up. She's never been good at expressing her feelings, and you're starting to wonder if just waiting is the right choice.]
[Faced with this troubled Tomori Takamatsu, you decide—]
1. Be direct. Nothing beats a straight punch of honesty.
2. Go with the flow. There's no need to rush things between you.
3. When the moment comes, just confess your feelings.
4. Enter virtual reality and simulate it yourself.
"Let's get married. I've always only had eyes for you, Tomori."
That's what he said, but confessing now felt a bit too soon.
If he confessed out of the blue, would Tomori even understand what "love" meant?
That uncertainty was what made things so dangerous. She might agree to his confession simply out of a desire to please a friend.
And if it really came to that... things could take a frightening turn.
What was frightening wasn't that Tomori agreed to a confession, it was what came next: dealing with the unbeatable Shiina Taki.
If that pressure monster Taki one day discovered that the girl she'd been quietly shielding from the world had suddenly become lovers with some guy she hadn't even met, she might just fly into a rage and smash his skull with her drumsticks.