I had no idea how things got this crazy.
One moment, Akane was joking about how soft the pillows were, and the next — chaos.
"Take this—!!"
"Retreat!"
"For glory!!"
Yeah. Pillow war. Total chaos.
Rei was dual-wielding like some sort of warrior, Mika was laughing like a maniac, and Akane was yelling battle cries that made zero sense.
And somehow, I was their main target.
"Why me!?" I shouted, ducking as another pillow whizzed past.
"Because you're the fastest one here!" Akane yelled back.
I dodged left, right, spun, blocked — I didn't even know if I could move like this.
Maybe because Mika often threw bottles at me during my part-time job, my reflexes have become good.
"Wha— how are you dodging all of this?!"
"Reflex," I said, grinning a little.
"You're not human!" Rei shouted.
I probably shouldn't have laughed.
"You guys are just slow."
Big mistake.
They froze. All of them.
And then, with perfect synchronization—
"GET HIM!!"
A storm of pillows hit from every direction.
I dodged one, ducked under another, blocked two more with a cushion—
Until my foot slipped on the edge of a blanket.
"Wait—"
The world tilted, and before I could react, I stumbled backward — right into Hana, who had been quietly sitting on the couch, sipping her tea.
THUD.
We both went down. The room went dead silent.
I blinked. "Ow… that was unexpected."
As I tried to get up, my hand landed on something soft…
Soft enough to feel like a mochi.
A really big one.
Wait. Why does Hana have a mochi on her—
"H-Hngh—K-Kaito…!"
Her voice cracked.
Not a scream.
Not an explosion.
Just a tiny, shocked sound — the kind that freezes the whole room.
I blinked. "Huh? What is—"
Hana's shoulders trembled.
Her face turned red slowly, like a thermometer rising.
"N-no… n-not there…" she whispered, desperately pulling her cardigan in front of her chest.
Her eyes were wide, but instead of yelling, she looked more embarrassed than angry — the kind of embarrassment that hits straight to the heart.
"S-sorry—wait, I didn't mean to—"
I pulled my hand back so fast I nearly dislocated something.
Hana covered her face with both hands.
A tiny, muffled voice slipped out:
"C-can you… not say anything about this…?"
That was all.
No shouting.
No "BAKA!".
Just a soft, flustered panic that made the room go silent for a second.
Of course, that second didn't last.
Because Rei burst out laughing first.
Then Akane.
Then Mika.
"BRO, NO WAY—"
Rei fell over clutching her stomach.
Akane wiped her tears. "Hana-chan… that was… the cutest 'panic mode' I've ever seen."
"Sh-shut up…" Hana squeaked behind her hands, her ears glowing bright red.
I scratched my cheek awkwardly.
"…I swear it was an accident."
"Y-you better…" she mumbled, still too embarrassed to look at me.
But even though she was hiding her face, I could see it —
a small, tiny smile trying to escape.
Cute.
Really cute.
Rei was rolling on the floor, Akane was crying from laughter, and Mika was gasping for air between giggles.
"Serves you right, ninja boy!" Rei wheezed.
"Yeah, that's what you get for being cocky!" Akane added.
I rubbed the side of my head, sighing. "Fine, fine. I surrender."
Hana huffed, trying to look angry, but her cheeks were still burning.
"Y-you think!?"
Despite her tone, she couldn't hide the small laugh that slipped out.
And somehow, that made me laugh too.
Soon, the whole room was filled with laughter — loud, genuine, the kind that made your stomach hurt but you didn't want it to stop.
Rei pointed at me between giggles. "Champion of dodging, defeated by a blanket!"
"I prefer the term 'tactical accident,'" I said.
"Sure you do," Hana muttered, hiding her face behind a pillow.
I leaned back against the couch, surrounded by scattered pillows and smiling faces.
The war was over, and the only thing left was laughter echoing through the room.
Honestly… if every battle ended like this, I wouldn't mind losing more often.
By the time the last pillow hit the floor, the room looked like a battlefield.
Cushions everywhere, hair messy, laughter still echoing off the walls.
"Okay— okay— time out," Rei wheezed, hands raised in surrender.
Akane dropped onto the carpet beside her. "I can't… breathe…"
Naoko was already sprawled on her back, eyes closed. "Just… bury me here…"
Mika groaned. "Next time, remind me not to challenge a guy with ninja reflexes."
I wiped a bit of feather dust off my sleeve. "So who's keeping score?"
Rei sat up, squinting at the others. "Well, technically Hana landed the final hit."
Everyone turned toward Hana — still holding the last surviving pillow, looking both proud and embarrassed.
"W-wait, what? I didn't mean to win!" she said, cheeks pink.
Akane grinned. "Nope. Rules are rules. The last one standing wins."
"Which means," Rei added with a mischievous smirk, "you get to choose who you'll share a futon with tonight."
"Eh—!?" Hana froze.
I blinked. "Wait, what rule is that?"
"It's a new one," Rei said casually.
"Yeah, just made it up," Akane added, nodding.
Hana looked around helplessly. "W-well, if I have to choose…"
Naoko mumbled half-asleep, "Just pick already… I'm dying here…"
Mika crossed her arms. "Not me. I move too much when I sleep."
Rei raised her hands. "I snore. Loudly."
Akane smirked. "You do."
"Hey!!"
Their little argument made Hana puff her cheeks. She glanced at me, then back at them — then back at me again.
"Um…"
I tilted my head. "What?"
"I—I guess… I'll share with Kaito," she muttered.
Silence.
Then—
"WHAAAAAT!?"
All four girls shouted in unison.
I blinked rapidly. "Eh!? Why me!?"
Hana stammered, waving her hands. "B-because! You look the most trustworthy! A-and everyone else already said no!"
Rei dramatically fell backward onto a pillow. "Unbelievable. Betrayed by my own teammate."
Akane sighed like a tired mother. "Typical Kaito luck."
Mika gave a knowing smirk. "Sure, 'luck.' That's what we're calling it now."
Naoko just mumbled from her futon, "Keep it down… or I'm stealing someone's blanket…"
I rubbed my temples. "Guys, this wasn't my idea—"
"Yeah, yeah," Rei interrupted. "Tell that to the fanfic writers."
"...What fanfic writers?"
"Never mind!"
The chaos eventually settled. Rei arranged the futons in the guest room — two on one side, two on the other, and one in the corner for me and Hana.
The air smelled faintly of fabric softener and sea breeze. Outside, the waves crashed softly against the shore.
I sat down on the futon, feeling the exhaustion finally catch up.
But… for some reason, I couldn't sleep yet.
My mind was too awake. Too full. The laughter from earlier still echoed faintly in my ears, and the quiet of the room made it feel even louder.
I exhaled softly and stood up.
Maybe I just needed some fresh air.
As I slid the door open, Mika glanced up from her futon.
"…Where are you going?"
"Just outside," I whispered. "Fresh air."
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "No weird stuff."
I blinked. "I'm literally walking into an empty yard."
"…Fine," she said, lying back down. "But if you disappear, we're sending a search party."
"I won't disappear."
I stepped out before she could add another comment.
The night air embraced me immediately—cool, gentle, carrying the faint scent of the ocean.
And the sea…
It looked different at night.
The moonlight rested on the surface like silver paint, turning every wave into a soft glow.
Each crash against the shore sounded calmer in the dark, like the world was breathing slowly.
I let out a long breath.
Yeah… this was better.
As I walked toward the little garden, I noticed someone already sitting there—on the wooden bench facing the ocean.
Akane.
She wasn't moving much, just staring at the coastline with her chin resting on her knees.
Her usually sharp eyes looked softer, almost dreamy.
I stepped closer. "…Akane?"
"W–WAAAH—!"
She jolted so hard she almost fell off the bench.
I blinked. "Uh. Sorry."
She pressed a hand to her chest. "C—could you not appear like a ghost behind people!?"
"I wasn't trying to."
She huffed, cheeks slightly red. "Still! Warn me next time!"
"Noted."
A quiet beat passed.
She glanced at me again, this time calmer.
"…Can't sleep?" she asked.
"Not really," I admitted. "The room felt a little… warm."
Akane let out a small laugh. "With everyone stuffed inside? Obviously."
I sat down beside her—leaving a polite gap.
The ocean kept glowing in the distance.
We talked for a while.
Nothing heavy. Nothing complicated.
Just soft, simple things.
About how chaotic the pillow war was.
About Rei's ridiculous battle cries.
About Naoko falling asleep in less than two minutes.
About how Hana somehow won without meaning to.
Akane's laugh under the moonlight felt different—lighter, realer, almost gentle.
"…It's nice, you know," she said quietly. "Nights like this."
I nodded. "Yeah. Peaceful."
Another breeze rolled in—stronger this time.
Her shoulders trembled slightly.
She tried to play it off, but I noticed the way she rubbed her arms.
"…Cold?" I asked.
She immediately looked away. "N-no! Not really! I'm fine, I just—"
I stood up, unbuttoned my overshirt, and set it gently over her shoulders before she could finish.
Akane froze. "…K-Kaito?"
"It's warmer than sitting here shivering," I said simply.
Her hands clutched the fabric—tight, like she wasn't sure what to do with it.
The moonlight reflected off her cheeks.
Red. Very red.
"I… I didn't ask for this," she muttered, voice barely above a whisper.
"I know," I said. "But you were cold, just accept it. My shirt is quite warm you know."
Silence.
Not awkward.
Soft.
Quiet.
Warm.
She pulled the shirt closer around herself, trying to hide her expression.
"…You're too nice. It's unfair."
"Is it?"
"Yeah."
She exhaled, almost a tiny laugh.
"You make it hard to stay annoyed at you."
I blinked. "Were you annoyed?"
"Of course I was! You dodged all my throws!"
"…That's the reason?"
"Shut up."
Another breeze drifted across the garden, but this time she didn't shiver.
My shirt was a little oversized on her—it slipped slightly off one shoulder, which made her quickly adjust it with an embarrassed frown.
Cute.
She stared at the sea again, quieter.
"…Thanks, Kaito."
"No problem."
We sat like that for a while. neither of us said anything.
The only sound was the tide rolling in and out, steady as breathing.
Then the moon briefly slipped out from behind a thin cloud.
Its light fell over the garden—soft, pale, silver.
And somehow… it ended up shining right on us.
On the bench.
On Akane.
On me.
She noticed it too.
"…Whoa," she whispered.
Her dark hair caught the glow, turning almost bluish.
The wind made a single strand fall across her face, and she brushed it away with a slow, almost thoughtful movement.
"It looks like we're in one of those movie scenes," she said, half-joking, half… not.
I glanced up.
The moon was bright.
Quiet.
Like it was watching us.
"Maybe," I said.
Akane hugged my shirt a little tighter around herself, exhaling a small, foggy breath that rose and faded.
"…It's been a while," she murmured.
"For what?"
"For a night like this."
She leaned back on the bench. "I'm usually too busy to stop and just… breathe."
I blinked. "You? Busy?"
"Hey!" she nudged my shoulder lightly. "I have a life, okay?"
"I didn't say you didn't."
"Still!" she puffed her cheeks a little—just enough to look playful rather than angry.
Then she relaxed again, eyes drifting back to the ocean.
"You know," she continued, voice softer, "it's kinda weird."
"What is?"
"That we all ended up like this. Hanging out. At Rei's place. In the middle of the night. After a… well, a very violent pillow war."
"Fate," I said flatly.
"Don't say it in that emotionless voice!!"
I chuckled. "Sorry."
She kicked her feet absentmindedly, like a kid thinking about something she wouldn't say out loud.
"…But I like it," she said after a moment.
"The chaos. The noise. Even the stupid fights. It's fun."
I nodded slowly. "Yeah. I like it too."
"Even when Mika screams in your ear?"
"…Maybe not that part."
She burst out laughing, her voice echoing a little in the open air.
Another breeze passed, but this time she didn't flinch.
The shirt must've helped.
She tugged at the sleeve. Her face redder than before.
I look at her, corious "Something happen there?"
She turned his face in the opposite direction "…n-nothing."
For a while, there's only silent between us.
Her smile softened.
"You're such a— I dunno. Reliable guy?"
I blinked. "Reliable?"
"You're calm. You're polite. You cook well. You somehow survive our insanity."
She rested her cheek on her knees, eyes glancing sideways at me.
"Honestly, you're kind of hard to read."
"Is that bad?"
"Not really."
Her lips curved faintly.
"It's… interesting."
The moonlight stayed on her face—highlighting her eyes, the soft edge of her hair, the way she fidgeted with the hem of my shirt like she didn't notice she was doing it.
A slow warmth spread in the air between us.
Not romantic in an intense way.
More like that quiet, simple warmth you only feel on nights that don't happen twice.
"…Kaito," she said suddenly.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks. For staying here. For sitting with me."
I nodded. "You didn't look like you wanted to be alone."
She blinked, surprised. "…How'd you know?"
"Your expression."
Akane stared for a moment—too long—before looking away quickly, brushing her hair behind her ear.
"…You notice more than I thought."
I opened my mouth to respond, but she lifted a hand.
"Don't say anything cheesy, okay?" she muttered, cheeks pink.
"…I wasn't planning to."
"Good."
We sat there again—quiet, comfortable, letting the waves fill the silence.
The moonlight stayed with us the whole time.
Just two people sharing the night, breathing the same cool air, and listening to the soft rhythm of the sea—
"Oi—AKANE!! KAITO!!"
...Before they come.
The sudden yelling nearly made me jump, but Akane reacted like someone who just got caught committing tax fraud.
She jerked upright so fast my shirt slipped halfway off her shoulder.
"W–W–WHAT?!" she squeaked.
Rei and Mika came marching across the garden, both armed with suspiciously wide grins.
Mika squinted at us. "Well, well, well… what's this?"
Akane instantly choked on her own breath.
"W–W–WHAT 'THIS'?! NOTHING!! LITERALLY NOTHING!!"
Rei leaned in, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Uh-huh. Sitting together… alone… under the moonlight… with Kaito's shirt on you…"
"I—I was cold!!" Akane snapped, face blazing.
Rei raised a brow. "So Kaito gave you his shirt?"
Akane froze.
Her mouth opened.
Closed.
Opened again.
"N–NO—YES—WAIT—IT WASN'T LIKE THAT!!"
Mika gasped dramatically. "Akane-chan… you're BLUSHING."
"I'M NOT!!"
She was.
Very obviously.
I decided to help.
"They're misunderstanding," I said calmly.
Rei and Mika turned to me.
"You see," I continued, "Akane was shivering, so giving her my shirt seemed like the most efficient way to reduce her discomfort."
Akane covered her face. "Kaito, please stop explaining—"
"And then," I added, "we were discussing light topic."
Rei blinked. "…Light topic?"
"Yes."
Mika nodded slowly. "Like… your marriage in the future?"
"I didn't say that."
Akane let out a noise between a groan and a scream.
"WHY ARE YOU MAKING IT SOUND WEIRDER—?!"
Rei folded her arms, grinning like a cat who found fresh gossip.
"Well, whatever it was… looks like we interrupted something nice."
Akane shook her head aggressively.
"N–NO YOU DIDN'T!! NOTHING NICE WAS HAPPENING!! I WAS JUST—JUST—!!"
"Blushing," Mika said.
"I'M NOT—!! …Oh my god…"
Rei clapped her hands. "Anyway! It's getting cold. Come back inside. Hana's making tea."
Akane practically leapt away from the bench.
"YES. INSIDE. NOW."
She stomped past them, hands covering half her face.
Rei giggled. "Wow. She's so flustered."
Mika nodded. "Totally adorable."
I tilted my head. "Was she embarrassed?"
Rei and Mika stared at me.
"…Kaito," Rei said slowly, "you really have no idea, do you?"
"No idea about what?"
They sighed in unison.
"Nothing," Mika said, patting my shoulder like I was a lost dog.
"Just… keep being you."
I wasn't sure what that meant, but I followed them back toward the house.
Behind us, the moon kept shining quietly over the empty bench, like it knew something I didn't.
The living room felt warmer than before — not just because of the heater, but because everyone had settled down from the chaos earlier.
Rei had set out a tray of warm drinks: cocoa, tea, and something she called "rich night milk," which, according to her, guaranteed "10/10 sleep."
I sat on the floor with a cup of hot cocoa while the girls gathered around the table.
Akane came in last… still red-faced.
She walked stiffly past Rei and Mika, avoiding their eyes like they were landmines.
Hana took one look at her and narrowed her eyes.
"Oh? You're awfully… warm, Akane. Were you running or something?"
Akane nearly choked on her own air.
"N–NO. I WAS JUST OUTSIDE. BREATHING. LIKE A NORMAL PERSON."
Rei grinned. "Oh yeah. Breathing. With Kaito."
Akane's grip on her cup tightened.
"Rei, I swear—"
Mika chimed in softly but with deadly precision:
"The moon looked romantic tonight, didn't it?"
Akane almost spilled her drink.
"WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?!"
Hana sipped her tea calmly, like a judge watching chaos in court.
"So… the two of you alone, under the moonlight, sharing clothes—"
"HANA!!" Akane yelped.
I blinked. "We weren't sharing clothes. I just gave her—"
"Kaito, please," Akane begged with a dying voice.
"Oh. Sorry."
Rei nudged Hana. "Hanaaaa, she's dying. Stop~"
But Hana shook her head.
"No. It's rare to see her this flustered. I should savor it."
Akane slammed her hands on the table.
"FINE! YOU KNOW WHAT, HANA?! YOU'RE SLEEPING WITH KAITO TONIGHT!"
Silence.
Everyone froze.
Especially Hana.
Her eyes widened so much she looked like she just witnessed a murder.
"E–Eh? M–Me?! Why?!"
Akane crossed her arms triumphantly. "Because you won the pillow war. Winner gets to choose, and you said you gonna sleep with him, right?"
"T–That doesn't mean I meant that—!!"
Rei burst out laughing.
"Oh my god—Hana's blushing. This is gold."
Mika giggled. "Hana-chan, you okay?"
Hana covered her face with her sleeve.
"This is… unfair… I was just teasing…"
Akane smirked. "Then don't tease me."
Hana groaned into her hands. "I regret everything."
I took a sip of cocoa.
"…So I'm sleeping with Hana?"
"KAITO!!" Hana shouted, nearly spilling her tea.
"What? Akane said—"
"Kaito," Hana said, voice trembling, "please stop repeating it out loud."
"Oh. Sorry."
The room exploded with laughter.
Rei slapped the table, wheezing.
"This is the best night ever—!"
Akane was red.
Hana was red.
Mika was quietly dying from embarrassment for both of them.
Meanwhile, I just drank my cocoa.
It tasted sweeter tonight.
Maybe because everyone else was making such a big deal out of things I didn't quite understand.
But even I could tell this:
It was… nice.
Warm.
Peaceful.
A little embarrassing for them, maybe — but in a good way.
A perfect autumn night.
Night settled quietly over the house.
The only sound was the soft hum of the heater and the occasional rustle of blankets as everyone prepared to sleep in the spacious tatami room Rei had set up.
Rei and Mika slept on the far left, already chatting quietly about something I couldn't hear.
Akane and Hana were in the middle.
And I was on the far right.
But despite the neat arrangement…
It still felt weird.
Mostly because Akane kept glaring at Hana.
"…Why are you looking at me like that?" Hana whispered.
"You know why," Akane muttered.
"I apologized!"
"You apologized for getting caught."
Hana sighed and flopped onto her futon dramatically.
"I hate how you can read me so well."
"I hate how you tease me so much."
They stared at each other for a second before both looked away, cheeks puffed.
I sat on my futon and watched them.
"…Are you two fighting?" I asked.
Akane jolted.
"N–No! Of course not!!"
Hana looked at me with defeated eyes. "Yes."
"Hey!!" Akane hissed.
I blinked. "Oh. Should we… separate your futons?"
Rei snorted from across the room.
"Seriously? that's not how girl fights work."
Mika giggled softly. "Kaito-kun, it's fine. They're just… being themselves."
"…Okay."
The room dimmed when Rei turned off the lamp, leaving only the faint glow of a nightlight in the corner.
Everyone started settling down.
But then Hana whispered:
"…Akane."
"What?"
"…You still embarrassed?"
Akane shoved her face deeper into her pillow.
"Obviously."
"Because you were alone with Kaito?"
Akane kicked her blanket in panic.
"HANA—"
"I'm joking," Hana whispered, stifling a laugh into her sleeve.
"You're not joking at all!!"
I turned to them, confused.
"…What part was embarrassing?"
Akane let out a tiny, dying squeak.
Hana bit her lip to keep from laughing.
Rei, already half-asleep,
Then she rolled over and started snoring.
Akane covered her face entirely.
"I can't do this. I'm surrounded by idiots."
Mika whispered gently, "It's okay, Akane-chan… breathe…"
I decided to help.
"You don't have to be embarrassed. Earlier wasn't weird at all."
Akane peeked from her blanket. "…Really?"
"Yes. Being with you felt… nice."
Her eyes widened in the dim light.
The room went real quiet.
Even Hana froze, mid-breath.
I tilted my head.
"…Was that the wrong thing to say?"
Akane shook her head quickly, hair swaying.
"N–No! Just… don't say it so casually… you'll kill me…"
"I don't want to kill you."
"Kaito. Please."
Hana hid her face in her pillow, whispering,
"…He's too powerful…"
Akane's ears turned red.
After a while, everyone lay down for real.
But right before the lights went completely silent, Hana whispered one last thing:
"…Akane."
"What now?"
"Even if you didn't win the pillow fight…"
Hana paused, then murmured,
"…I'd still sleep next to you."
Akane blinked, surprised.
For a moment she softened.
"…Idiot."
Then she reached out from her blanket and poked Hana's arm.
Just a tiny poke.
But Hana smiled.
Warm, small, quiet.
I watched, feeling a strange calm settle in my chest.
Friendship… is complicated.
But also pretty nice.