On the quiet balcony, the soft overhead light cast two overlapping shadows on the floor—silhouettes swaying gently in the night breeze.
Shirase and Nakano Nino stood locked in each other's arms, their warmth mingling, heartbeats syncing. The faint scent of her shampoo mixed with the summer air, wrapping the moment in a dizzying sweetness.
When Shirase had quietly asked, "Is this okay?"—Nino had already known her answer.
Pretending otherwise now would be meaningless.
So she let herself fall completely into the tenderness of their first kiss. Her eyes, squeezed shut at first, fluttered open in bashful intervals, shimmering with faint moisture. Under the warm light, her pale cheeks glowed with a rosy flush, every subtle breath trembling with nervous delight.
At first, her lips stayed sealed, but the longer they stayed close, the more she melted into him. Her soft lips parted, almost unconsciously, surrendering to the feeling. Her body, once stiff with tension, relaxed; her toes stretched in her slippers, and her hands slowly slid upward to loop around his neck.
Neither of them knew how long they stayed like that.
When they finally parted, Nino caught her breath, cheeks still pink, her lips trembling with a shy, unhideable smile.
"…You really are a jerk," she murmured, her voice soft—more sweet than scolding.
"Why are you calling me names again?" Shirase teased gently, pressing his forehead to hers, their noses brushing. "Still mad about earlier?"
He was clearly referring to his earlier "spanking" joke.
Nino glared up at him, her tone fierce but her eyes soft. Now is not the time to bring that up!
Seeing her reaction, Shirase chuckled, lowering his voice playfully. "Ah, so you'd rather go back inside and play cards?"
Nino instantly caught the teasing lilt in his voice. Her pride prickled; she puffed her chest and retorted, "Exactly!"
"And you're planning to win every round?"
"Of course!"
"So, that means you're thinking that kiss earlier was too short, and you actually want more?"
"Yes—wait, what?!"
She realized too late she'd fallen for his trap.
Before she could recover, Shirase leaned in again—and captured her lips once more.
This time, her muffled gasp melted into a quiet sigh as his warmth deepened. Her hands trembled, then clutched at his shirt. Her mind went blank, her heartbeat loud enough to drown out the distant hum of city noise.
She struggled for only a second before melting completely into the kiss.
Meanwhile, in the living room—Itsuki sat at the card table, halfheartedly fanning her cards. Her gaze drifted to the balcony again and again.
They've been gone fifteen minutes…
Her grip tightened slightly.
"Itsuki, it's your turn," Yotsuba reminded her, leaning over cheerfully.
Startled, Itsuki blinked and played a wrong card.
Even Miku noticed this time, exchanging a knowing glance with Ichika.
"Are you okay?" asked Kana, ever the responsible adult. "You look pale."
"N-no, I'm fine," Itsuki said quickly.
"You're lying," Miku said flatly, putting down her cards. "You've been distracted all night."
"Right!" Yotsuba chimed in. "If something's bothering you, you can tell us. Or Kana-nee! She's an adult, so she knows everything!"
Kana puffed her chest proudly. "That's right! You can count on me for grown-up advice!"
Miku gave her a deadpan look. "Kana-nee, pretending to be wise doesn't make you wise."
"Hey! I really am an adult!" Kana pouted, drawing laughter from everyone—everyone except Itsuki, whose smile was forced and brittle.
Ichika stepped in gently. "Maybe she just ate too fast earlier. Right, Itsuki?"
Itsuki blinked, then caught the subtle meaning behind Ichika's gaze. "…Yeah. Maybe."
"Then let's rest for a bit."
Without waiting for the others to object, Ichika took her hand and guided her away.
Kana, Yotsuba, and Miku watched them go, confusion flickering in their eyes.
"Now that you mention it," Miku said, "Shirase-kun and Nino have been gone a long time too."
"I'll go get them!" Yotsuba said immediately, standing up.
"Wait," Kana interrupted gently.
Yotsuba turned back, puzzled.
Kana smiled knowingly. "They probably have something private to talk about. Let's not interrupt."
"Private?" Yotsuba tilted her head.
"Mm-hm." Kana's tone was calm, but the faint amusement in her eyes said she already knew. "Let's just watch TV. They'll come back when they're ready."
...
Ichika and Itsuki stopped in front of Ichika's room, but seeing the mess inside, Ichika redirected them. "Let's use your room instead."
Itsuki tried to smile. "Yours really is hopelessly messy."
"Because I have you girls to rely on," Ichika replied lightly.
After they sat down, her tone softened. "Does it hurt a lot?"
Itsuki froze. "Wh-what do you mean?"
Ichika met her eyes gently. "I'm not blind, you know. You've been distracted for days. Among us, you're the serious one—the steady one. So when you start slipping up, it's obvious."
Itsuki bit her lip hard, saying nothing.
Ichika leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "Shirase-kun's really something, huh? Making even you fall for him."
"No!" Itsuki blurted.
Ichika smiled faintly. "Then what's really going on?"
Silence hung for several seconds before Itsuki whispered, "…Maybe it's because he makes me feel safe."
Her voice trembled slightly.
Memories surfaced—study sessions, casual chats, quiet support. Shirase never pampered her, yet his quiet steadiness had rooted itself deep in her heart.
"That sense of security," she said softly, "I can't stop wanting it."
Ichika's eyes narrowed slightly. A sense of security, huh?
She sighed inwardly. That was the worst kind of problem—the one with no easy cure.
Because once someone fell for that kind of warmth, it was almost impossible to pull them back out.