On Saturday afternoon, the day he didn't have to go to the cram school, Aki Tomoya returned home and looked at the empty house, thinking he still preferred the atmosphere at the cram school.
Being alone at home was too lonely.
His parents were often either on business trips to Hokkaido or Kyushu Island, or on their way back and forth from business trips.
Not going to the cram school in the afternoon, should he still study?
Aki Tomoya sat in the living room, rubbing his chin, looking at the red book on the table and thinking. The advice of the two Teachers from the cram school echoed in his mind.
"Last time you overexerted yourself and had health problems, Aki-kun should properly arrange time for rest."
Although Aki Tomoya didn't think his health problem was due to working too hard, and his body had recovered, he still kept the words of those two Teachers in mind.
Let's first ask if anyone I know is free.
He had already asked the two people from the school group at school. Kamigō Yoshihiko was excluded, Kato Megumi was excluded, Eriri... he didn't even know what to find her for, last resort or not even considered!
He scrolled through Line. Excluding the people from the cram school and those already excluded above, the only ones left were Izumi Hashima, Hyodo Michiru, Hashima Iori, and finally, Kasumigaoka Utaha, who they hadn't deleted each other's Line yet and had almost forgotten the other person's Line existed.
Izumi Hashima is not considered for now. What if she is preparing for the summer CM Doujin Exhibition?
Hyodo Michiru?
Too troublesome, he doesn't understand music or anything like that.
Hashima Iori?
Hmm, a close friend I can trick!
As for the last one, Kasumigaoka Utaha, she was truly not considered at all.
"Hazama Iori, are you free to hang out?"
A question that couldn't be more ordinary.
Aki Tomoya sent it out without hesitation.
"?"
"?"
In less than a minute, he got a reply, a big question mark.
"You're asking me something like this today?"
As if Aki Tomoya couldn't ask something like this today.
"Hahaha..."
He let out a burst of laughter with no amusement, a poker face, and then slowly typed a reply, explaining how idle he was today to send a Line message to the other person.
As expected, I should just continue reviewing!
After explaining, Aki Tomoya felt he should just continue reviewing. Things like occasionally resting, or hanging out with friends, were out of the question!
Thinking this way, Aki Tomoya wanted to put down his phone and go upstairs to conquer the red book for Tokyo University.
He felt as if he saw the past exam papers for Tokyo University beckoning him, so dazzling!
"Since you're free for once, please keep Izumi company for me. I've already told her to go over. Please."
Hashima Iori's reply made Aki Tomoya freeze.
"Huh?!"
Aki Tomoya made a sound of surprise.
Hashima Iori wasn't coming himself, but actually threw his sister at him? What did he mean?
"Help me out, I have things to do, I'll go first!"
Hashima Iori closed Line immediately after sending the message, not giving anyone a chance to react.
Inside Hongzaka Akane's circle, Hashima Iori awkwardly walked up to the big boss of the circle and said, "I'm sorry, my sister happened to have plans with a friend today. She's really… I've told her several times to come and try out the circle, but that girl really can't remember!"
A scrutinizing gaze swept over Hashima Iori's face, but he remained unmoved, maintaining a smile of apology.
"No, it's fine, maybe next time."
Both of them had their own thoughts.
Meanwhile, Aki Tomoya asked why over and over again but never received a response.
Half an hour later, Aki Tomoya heard the doorbell.
"S-Senior, are you… are you home?!"
Aki Tomoya, who had walked to the entrance, could hear the slightly nervous, soft voice through the door.
He took a deep breath, his frustration completely disappearing, and quickly opened the door for Izumi Hashima.
"You came alone? That's impressive, Izumi!"
"Hehehe, I feel like Senior is praising me like a primary school student going on a long trip… After my brother told me the address, I turned around and came straight here!"
Upon seeing Aki Tomoya, Izumi Hashima seemed to lose the nervousness she had felt waiting outside the door.
However, when she entered the house later, her face still showed a bit of excitement. This was her first time visiting Aki Tomoya's home.
After receiving Hashima Iori's message, although Izumi Hashima was confused about why her brother would suddenly give her such a "surprise," she still came without hesitation.
"I was originally looking for your brother, but I didn't expect him to actually call you over. I'm sorry, Izumi!"
Aki Tomoya clasped his hands together, looking at Izumi Hashima apologetically.
He really didn't expect Hashima Iori to pull a stunt like this.
However, he also felt strange in his heart, feeling inexplicably like he had been calculated by Hashima Iori.
Maybe it was just a feeling…
"Brother has been a little strange lately."
Izumi Hashima replied half-jokingly. Aki Tomoya noticed a hint of worry in her eyes.
This made him ask curiously, "Strange in what way?"
"Brother always wanted me to go to his circle before, and I went a few times, but recently, he doesn't seem to want me to go anymore… Has my ability not improved but regressed?"
Izumi Hashima unconsciously spoke her worries aloud, holding nothing back in front of Aki Tomoya.
From her words, Aki Tomoya immediately guessed some things.
She had been to Hongzaka Akane's circle a few times, and recently Hashima Iori didn't want her to go anymore. Izumi Hashima thought her ability had regressed, and that he was doing this because he didn't want her to cause trouble.
However, Aki Tomoya knew the real reason.
"After all, people are selfish."
Aki Tomoya immediately understood what that Hashima Iori was thinking. After all, his sister was a highly potential artist, and it would be better for her to become famous under his guidance rather than at Hongzaka Akane's place. After all, Hashima Iori had told him himself that he wouldn't stay in Hongzaka Akane's circle for long.
That person had his own plans.
"Senior Hongzaka Akane should know, I thought my ability was recognized by that person, but suddenly calling me over, and then suddenly telling me not to go and that I could come to Senior's place, maybe there was a misunderstanding."
Izumi Hashima smiled, but Aki Tomoya could still see that she was somewhat confused and doubted her own ability.
Seeing this, Aki Tomoya sighed, thinking that Hashima Iori really wasn't afraid that he wouldn't see through it, and might even let Izumi Hashima continue to misunderstand.
His contacting Hashima Iori this time really played right into his hands.
Aki Tomoya smiled helplessly, and just as he was about to comfort Izumi Hashima, his phone's Line app made a new message notification sound.
Not in a hurry to check Line, Aki Tomoya first comforted Izumi Hashima, saying, "Izumi, even Kashiwagi Eri is jealous of your ability, you must not doubt your ability. On the contrary, it's precisely because of your ability that Hazama Iori is unwilling to hand you over to others."
"Eh, jealous or something, it's not that exaggerated…"
Izumi Hashima's eyes were full of surprise.
At first, she didn't quite believe what Aki Tomoya said, but seeing the sincerity in Aki Tomoya's eyes, she didn't think Aki Tomoya would deliberately make up such words to comfort her.
"Speaking of which, you still don't know who Kashiwagi Eri is?"
Aki Tomoya suddenly asked. Since Izumi Hashima had been to Hongzaka Akane's place a few times, and at the last New Year's party, Eriri also followed Hongzaka Akane outside, Izumi Hashima should already know Eriri's real identity, right?
Moreover, they had met at the doujinshi exhibition last year. Although she was wearing a mask, those green eyes and blonde hair were not something everyone had.
"…Who? Although Ms. Hongzaka Akane showed me a photo, isn't Kashiwagi Eri just Kashiwagi Eri?"
It seemed she hadn't connected Eriri, who almost turned her into a steamed bun last year. She still didn't know that their first meeting was in August last year.
Aki Tomoya couldn't help but laugh and didn't explain further.
He remembered that someone had sent him a Line message, so he lowered his head to look and suddenly let out a surprised sound.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, Kashiwagi Eri is looking for me."
"Ah?"
The message on Line was from none other than Kashiwagi Eri, whom Aki Tomoya had just mentioned, which was Eriri.
She asked Aki Tomoya what he was planning to do in the afternoon and if he wanted to go out.
Aki Tomoya looked up at Izumi Hashima twice and replied, "I'm busy, I'm taking care of a child!"
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