Today was Izumi Himawari's birthday.
Normally, even though Fuyukawa Tetsu had grown closer to Izumi Himawari over time, he wouldn't pay much attention to a kid's birthday. But this was different—it was her 18th, her coming-of-age ceremony in Japan. He had to at least make a gesture.
"Good evening, Team Leader Fuyukawa!"
"Mm, stay safe on your way home."
"Take care of yourself, Team Leader! Don't work too late."
Lost in thoughts about what to eat for dinner, Fuyukawa made his way back to Lightbird Studio, greeted by a mix of admiration and awe from the employees.
Lightbird Studio was a newly established small studio, tucked away in a corner of the building. It was past regular hours, and with Kawaguchi and Nogi still helping out at the film set, the corridor was eerily quiet as he approached the studio's entrance.
"Companies, schools, and hospitals at night are the creepiest places in the world. Huh, where's Sayoko?"
Peering through the window while fishing out his keys, Fuyukawa noticed the office bathed in dim light, with only the sunset casting a glow across the desks.
Curious, he unlocked the door and stepped inside. But the moment he reached his cubicle, a soft, curvaceous figure enveloped him from behind.
"!"
Startled, Fuyukawa instinctively raised his elbow, but the faint scent of shampoo told him exactly who it was.
"Come on, aren't you too old to play hide-and-seek?"
Hanging his briefcase on the rack, Fuyukawa chuckled and opened his right arm, pulling Sayoko from behind him to his front. Unlike usual, she didn't look up. Instead, her pale arms clung tightly to his back, her flushed cheeks pressing against his chest through his white shirt. Rubbing gently, she murmured playfully, "Let me hug you a bit longer. Hmm… Tetsu-kun, you smell like another woman's perfume."
"…"
Fuyukawa's smile froze awkwardly. But then Sayoko lifted her head, her gentle, sensual face streaked with faint tears, her eyes brimming with adoration and shyness.
Feeling "little Tetsu" pressed against her, Sayoko's gaze grew even more bashful. Her lips, adorned with a beauty mark, parted softly. "But… it doesn't seem like anything happened."
"Uh…"
A bit embarrassed, Fuyukawa was about to say something when, to his surprise, Sayoko slid down to her knees in front of him.
The sunset streamed through the window, illuminating the room. Her knees, wrapped in black stockings, touched the floor, her full figure leaning slightly forward.
"Here's your reward, Tetsu-kun."
"Hiss."
"Looks like… you prefer the sweet and obedient Sayoko, don't you?"
---
"Hiss—"
---
While Fuyukawa was "unloading," over at Tokiwadai High School in Tokyo…
"Izumi-san, are you free tonight? I was wondering if—"
"Sorry, I'm busy."
"…Sorry for bothering you!"
On the school field, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, a handsome male student ran off, wiping tears. Konno Yumi, gulping water, glanced at Izumi Himawari beside her and grinned. "I heard that guy's the new ace of the soccer club, super popular with the girls. Not even a little interested?"
"Just a kid."
Leaning against the horizontal bar, Izumi Himawari blew a pink bubble with her gum, her soft, mochi-like face expressionless, her eyes half-lidded in her signature deadpan stare.
It was the weekend, and she wore the iconic Japanese schoolgirl JK uniform. Her youthful, 18-year-old frame only slightly filled out the white blouse, a far cry from Sayoko's "snow pomelos." But her long, slender legs, wrapped in black thigh-high stockings and tucked into black loafers, combined with the pure, innocent aura of an 18-year-old, drew plenty of stares from the boys on the field.
A stunningly pure and beautiful girl.
But as her best friend, Konno Yumi was immune to Izumi's charm. Wiping sweat from her chin after a 1,000-meter run, she rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. A kid? You're eighteen yourself! What, you looking for some old guy or something?"
"Idiot. Maturity isn't about age. Take you, Yumi—18 years old, but you act like a starry-eyed 15- or 16-year-old fangirl."
"…Get over here!"
"Ugh, all you know is violence! You'll never get a guy like this—hey, don't get your sweat on my clothes!"
After a playful scuffle, Izumi's cool facade finally cracked, her usual apathetic expression giving way to a pout.
Watching her grumpily fix her hair, Yumi giggled and sipped her water. But her gaze soon drifted to the guitar nearby, her expression turning complex. "Hey, are you really quitting the light music club?"
Izumi, wiping sweat from her neck with a handkerchief, froze. Her brows furrowed, then slowly relaxed.
She tucked the handkerchief into her pocket and nodded lightly. "Yeah."
"That's over two years of your heart and soul! If it weren't for you as the lead singer and songwriter, who'd even know about Tokiwadai's light music club? If you ask me, they're the ones who should leave, not you! You should kick them out!"
"No point."
"No point?! You've always been like this since we were kids! You just run away from problems! What are you afraid of?!"
Yumi gritted her teeth, frustrated but mostly upset for her friend.
Tokiwadai's light music club was well-known in Tokyo's high school club scene, even beyond. With frequent gigs and their unique high school band vibe, they'd caught the attention of music companies. But that fame only came after Izumi joined Tokiwadai and built the club from the ground up. She'd begged teachers for approval, handed out flyers class by class, and her singing and songwriting had put them on the map.
But now…
Yumi's eyes flicked to the pink hearing aid in Izumi's ear, her anger turning to helplessness.
Sensing her friend's concern, Izumi's usually expressionless face softened into a faint smile. "Running away might be cowardly, but it works, doesn't it? I don't want to beg to stay in a group that doesn't want me anymore.
"And honestly, I get it. Who'd want a lead singer who could go deaf at any moment? Kosaki and the others need the gig money to get by."
"You—"
They only kicked you out because they found some rich girl with a music background who loves to sing!
Yumi screamed internally, but seeing Izumi's calm, detached eyes—always distant from the world—she sighed. "Fine, as long as you're okay with it. Oh, it's almost time. Aunt Sayoko's coming soon, right?"
"Mm, we agreed on 6:30. Fifteen minutes to go."
Checking her watch, Izumi nodded absently. Yumi grinned. "Yes! I get to taste Aunt Sayoko's cooking again! You don't know how bad my brother's cooking has gotten lately—"
"We're eating out tonight."
"Huh?"
"Not just Sayoko. There's… an old guy coming too."
"Eating out?! Why didn't you tell me sooner?! I need a shower! Wait for me at the gate!"
Drenched in sweat, Yumi shot her a glare and bolted toward the school building.
"What an immature girl."
Watching her friend's retreating figure, Izumi slung her guitar over her shoulder and headed toward the school gate. At the same time, a group of girls approached from the other side of the avenue.
"Risa's voice is amazing! Our gig at the Night Club tonight is gonna be a hit!"
"Seriously, Risa's incredible. She even got Kawagen-sensei to write a song for us. That's huge!"
"Risa, you've gotta keep looking out for us!"
The girls, carrying various instruments, chattered excitedly around a tall girl with a designer shoulder bag.
The mood was lively, but the moment they spotted Izumi walking alone, the group fell silent.
Their eyes darted away, avoiding Izumi's calm, pale gaze. Only Risa, at the center, met her eyes.
The night breeze stirred. Locking gazes, Risa gave a slight bow. "Good afternoon, Izumi-senpai."
Izumi said nothing. Realizing no one else would greet her, the 18-year-old, her face impassive, felt a pang in her chest, her lips dipping slightly. She returned a small bow and walked out the gate.
As she did, a black Volkswagen pulled up.
"You just had to stop for a cake and almost made us late!"
"Hmph, you're such an unromantic guy, Tetsu-kun~"
In the driver's seat, Fuyukawa took a sip from his water bottle and nodded with a smile at Izumi outside. Sayoko, after playfully poking his cheek, stepped out with a delicate little cake in hand, beaming at Izumi. "Happy housing birthday, Koko!"
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