Holding her schoolbag in both hands, Utaha stood outside the bike shed, watching her boyfriend busy himself as she blinked.
"Miyuki-senpai invited us to Shuchiin?"
"Yeah."
Holding the handlebars with both hands, Miyahito gently kicked the heavy motorcycle's side stand with his right foot, slowly pushing it out of the shed.
"From what Miyuki-nii said, it sounds like the other Student Council senpais invited us to hang out."
"I see. Thanks."
Reaching out to take the red full-face helmet from her boyfriend, Utaha casually placed her bag on the seat, shook her head, and put the helmet on.
"You're welcome. So, are you going, Utaha?"
Flipping up the visor of his full-face helmet and putting the motorcycle's side stand down, Miyahito reached out and carefully adjusted his girlfriend's helmet.
"Mm... I really want to go." Looking somewhat troubled, Utaha watched her boyfriend put both their bags into the motorcycle's storage box and shook her head.
"It's just that I have to go to Shinobu Publishing later. Editor Machida needs to see me."
"Editor Machida?" Slightly taken aback, Miyahito looked at his girlfriend in confusion. "But I thought you already handed in the final volume of Love's Metronome to her?"
"Yeah." Utaha nodded, then continued with some helplessness. "Well, she probably just wants to confirm if I have plans for a new work. Anyway, whenever she calls me in, it's always about the same things."
"Love's Metronome just finished."
Swinging his leg over the motorcycle, Miyahito frowned slightly, his tone carrying a hint of dissatisfaction.
"How long have you even been resting? Is this a capitalist sweatshop?"
"Alright, why are you suddenly so mad?" Carefully swinging her leg over the rear seat, Utaha smoothed out her uniform skirt, pressing the hem down securely. She smiled, reached out to wrap her arms around Miyahito's waist, rested her chin on his shoulder, and pressed her voluptuous upper body firmly against his back, saying with a bright smile.
"There, there, don't be mad."
"...I'm just worried about you."
Fortunately, he was wearing a full-face helmet. Flustered by his girlfriend's devilish figure, Miyahito couldn't help but blush.
"Yeah, yeah, I know." Noticing the slight change in her boyfriend's tone, Utaha smiled with a slightly mischievous air, feeling a small surge of delight.
"So, please take me to Shinobu Publishing, Mr. Driver."
"Ahem, then hold on tight."
Pulling down his helmet visor, Miyahito twisted the throttle. The motorcycle slowly accelerated, driving out of Toyogasaki's side gate and smoothly merging into the main road outside the campus.
At the same time.
"Ah, I'm so jealous! I really want to ride a motorcycle to school too!"
"Give it a rest, Tooru." Yoshikawa Yuki looked at Tooru, who was grabbing his hair beside her, looking like he was going crazy with envy. Her gaze was like she was looking at a pile of non-burnable trash.
"Hey, hey! Yoshikawa, what's with that look?!"
Seeing the disdain in Yuki's eyes, Tooru immediately complained in dissatisfaction.
"Are you sure you're just jealous that Miyahito can ride a motorcycle to school?"
Yoshikawa Yuki completely ignored the noisily complaining Tooru, who was acting like a big dog. She gave him a blank look, then calmly walked past this lonely single guy envying a couple, heading toward the Toyogasaki school gate not far away.
Feeling left behind, Tooru looked at Yuki's retreating back, then looked in the direction Miyahito and Utaha had left, and silently sighed.
"Sigh, if only I could be as brave as Miyahito."
Striding forward to catch up with Yuki, who was walking with her hands behind her back and light steps, Tooru looked at the familiar smiling face that surfaced in his mind and silently said in his heart.
Confession.
It's not that simple.
At least, I'm not Miyahito... and she's not a girl like Utaha.
.....
"By the way, Miyahito, Ayase told me yesterday she wants to come visit this weekend." On the road, Utaha asked Miyahito through the helmet's Bluetooth device.
"Ask her when she's coming. I have cram school in the morning, so I might not make it to the station to pick her up."
"I asked. She's coming in the morning."
"Then at that time..."
"I'll go pick her up. I happened to see some clothes at the mall yesterday that would suit Ayase perfectly. I'll take her to check them out."
"Whatever you decide is fine."
Listening to his girlfriend discuss Ayase's weekend visit, Miyahito couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.
Ever since the fireworks festival, when he had an open talk with his sister following Utaha's advice, Ayase had indeed done as he said, letting go of her resistance and trying to get along with Utaha.
Well, Ayase's impression of Utaha wasn't bad to begin with. If it weren't for the influence of some peers, she wouldn't have become resistant to interacting with Utaha recently.
However, in less than half a summer break, these two girls who held a very important place in Miyahito's heart had unknowingly become very close.
It could even be said that, apart from not being blood-related, they were basically a pair of very close little sisters.
This could be seen from the fact that they simply called each other 'Ayase' and 'Onee-san' without any extra titles.
However, Miyahito didn't have any complaints about his girlfriend and sister getting along well again.
Rather, seeing Utaha get along so well with Ayase was exactly the scene he wanted to see the most.
Silently putting away his random thoughts, Miyahito slowly twisted the throttle.
"I'm going to speed up, Utaha."
"Mhm."
Although she didn't know why, sensing that Miyahito seemed to be in an even better mood, Utaha couldn't help but raise the corners of her lips, tightening her arms around her boyfriend's waist.
A little later, on the roadside outside the main building of Shinobu Publishing.
"I don't know when I'll be done later."
Tilting the motorcycle slightly to make it easier for Utaha to get off the rear seat, Miyahito kicked the side stand up with his foot and reached out to take the helmet his girlfriend had just removed.
"Just call me when you're ready, and I'll come pick you up."
"Mhm."
Raising her hand to fix her hair, Utaha smiled and nodded.
"I can wait inside the company. You don't need to rush over to pick me up, Miyahito."
"It's fine. I'm fast on the motorcycle anyway."
"Drive safely, got it?"
"Got it, my lady."
Smiling and nodding at Utaha, who was standing by the road, Miyahito pulled his visor back down.
"Then I'm off."
"Yeah, take care on the road and stay safe."
The next second after her words fell, pressing her hand lightly against her long hair dancing in the wind, Utaha looked at her boyfriend's retreating back with curved, smiling eyes.
She murmured to herself softly.
"Seriously, he's like a kid who never grows up."
"...."
"Yeah, boys are all just kids who never grow up."
Hearing the familiar voice from behind, Utaha turned around with a helpless expression.
"Oh, what a coincidence, Utaha-chan."
Looking at her editor, who was greeting her with a cheeky smile, Utaha suddenly felt an indescribable exhaustion.
They say men are boys until they die.
No wonder Editor Machida, despite being a woman, is still single.
Like repels like, I guess.