Night was deepening.
In front of the yakiniku restaurant, Kita and Ryou had already answered calls from their families and left together in advance.
Ijichi Seika looked at her younger sister, who was already drunk, and Hiroi Kikuri, who was unconscious, with a bit of a headache.
Nijika's alcohol tolerance was still too poor. Though it wasn't as bad as collapsing after just one drink, it wasn't much better either.
But considering she had never touched "alcohol" before, it was understandable.
As for Hiroi Kikuri… though the tsundere manager always verbally scorned this drunkard kouhai, it wasn't like she could actually leave her lying at the restaurant entrance unattended.
Noticing her headache, PA-san beside her covered her mouth and laughed, then considerately said, "Hiroi-san… just leave her to me for now. I happen to have a spare guest room at home, so it's no problem to make do for one night."
"Then I'll leave it to you, PA," Ijichi Seika let out a sigh of relief. Watching the two of them get into a taxi and leave, she then turned her gaze to Kaito, who hadn't left yet. She hesitated a little, then awkwardly and embarrassedly said, "As for Kaito-kun… would you mind doing me a favor and taking Nijika home?"
The tsundere manager was of the petite type. Nijika was 154 cm tall and weighed 48 kg. For her to support her sister upstairs alone would indeed be quite a problem.
Of course, that was just an excuse.
Since she had decided to play wingman for her sister, Ijichi Seika naturally wanted to create as many chances as possible for close contact between the two.
And right now, it was clearly a very good opportunity.
"It's no trouble at all," Kaito didn't refuse her request. He simply nodded and carried the still-sound-asleep Nijika on his back.
The girl's warm breathing was close to his ear, carrying a faint scent of alcohol, brushing against his ear and making it a bit ticklish.
If there was only one drawback… it might be that the imagined soft sensation on his back wasn't there.
It was a bit bony.
In this kind of case, even without using spiritual energy, it could be improved through medicinal diets or massage.
But not all girls liked such burdensome size. Even just moving around became inconvenient. Maybe Nijika thought that way too?
Besides, even if the girl was a bit ordinary overall, perhaps because she often stepped on pedals, her legs had beautiful lines and felt pretty firm to the touch.
Kaito shook his head, suppressing those miscellaneous thoughts and stopped thinking further.
The Ijichi family's apartment wasn't far from here, so they didn't take the train and simply walked back.
Manager Seika didn't speak again, and Kaito didn't bring up any topics either. The atmosphere along the way was somewhat quiet.
Half an hour later—
The two of them returned to STARRY. The apartment where the Ijichi sisters lived was upstairs.
As the elevator made a "ding" sound and the door opened, they entered the room. Kaito carried the sleeping Nijika into the bedroom, and only then did manager Seika let out a breath of relief, "Really, thank you for today… I'll go pour some water. Is there anything you'd like to drink?"
"Just plain boiled water is fine. Thank you, manager."
The tsundere manager wanted to say, 'It's not working hours right now, there's no need to address me by title. You're Nijika's friend, so just call me 'Onee-chan' like she does.'
But a tsundere is tsundere precisely because they can't express their true feelings honestly most of the time. So after hesitating a bit, she ended up saying nothing and silently turned to the living room.
Once the manager left, only Kaito and the slightly frowning, dream-bound, fragile-faced Nijika remained in the bedroom.
Seeing the girl's uncomfortable expression, Kaito thought for a moment and held her hand, gently transferring a trace of spiritual energy.
Alcohol, having some occasionally wasn't a big deal, but overdoing it wasn't good.
Lately, because of the live event, Nijika had been like a taut bowstring, ready to snap at any moment.
Now that the live had ended perfectly, letting her get drunk once might be a good way to release all the built-up pressure in her heart.
But the headache and dizziness of a hangover, those negative debuffs, there was no need for her to experience.
Suddenly, a warm current surged into her body.
As if she had returned to a lazy afternoon of childhood, she curled up in her mother's warm embrace, soft lullabies echoing by her ears. The old tree in the courtyard swayed with the wind, making gentle rustling sounds. A summery fragrance drifted from afar.
Nijika's tightly furrowed brows relaxed. She unconsciously reached out her hand, trying to wrap it around her mother's neck, like when she was little, snuggling and acting spoiled.
But then she suddenly frowned again.
'My mother's chest… why is it hard?'
'Even the shoulders seem broader than before.'
'Also…'
'Since when did Mom have an Adam's apple?'
'Th-this can't be right?'
Finally realizing something was wrong, Nijika awoke with a start and instinctively opened her eyes, locking gazes with a pair of light chestnut-colored pupils.
Kaito cleared his throat, "Since you're awake… how about letting go first."
No wonder he said that.
Their current posture was rather awkward.
The drunk girl seemed to have mistaken him for a body pillow or stuffed toy or something, clinging to him like a koala, arms tightly wrapped around his neck, as if afraid he'd suddenly disappear.
"S-Sorry!", Nijika's face turned red with embarrassment. She was just about to let go when she suddenly hesitated.
'Should I really let go just like that?'
'So much time had passed, yet there is still no progress with Kaito-kun.'
'We are close friends, but only friends.'
'Does that mean that for the decades to come, I will always be stuck in this role?'
'I don't want to.'
She was clearly the band's leader, but… losing to Bocchi was one thing. After all, the little introvert had the geographical advantage and was the first to arrive, proximity breeds intimacy.
But even Kita and Ryou were bolder in their actions and behavior than she was.
In the past, due to shyness, Nijika had always been too embarrassed to express her true feelings.
Right now, without a doubt, was a very good opportunity.
She had just drunk a lot.
What people say or do when drunk never surprises others too much.
So…
She recalled that night in the town of Hoori, hiding in the closet, personally witnessing the moment when Kita stole a kiss from Kaito while he wasn't paying attention.
A surge of courage suddenly rose in Nijika's heart.
In terms of figure, she and Kita were on par.
In terms of personality, they were both sunny extroverts.
'If even Kita can do it, why can't I?'
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell…"
Kaito was just about to ask why Nijika suddenly spaced out.
But the next second, the blonde girl in his arms slowly raised her head, those wine-red eyes brimming with tears.
And then, she leaned in.
The warm and soft sensation flashed by, mixed with faint moisture, like a fish kissing a sheet of ice.
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