After finishing my shower, I changed into fresh clothes and let my damp hair dry naturally as I sat on my bed, letting the quiet morning air settle my thoughts. My body still felt slightly heavy from the earlier run, but it was the pleasant soreness of a routine fulfilled.
Eventually, my stomach reminded me of reality with a quiet growl.
Guess it's about time for breakfast.
I stood up, brushed off imaginary dust from my sweatpants, and stepped out of my room. The hallway was silent except for the faint sizzling sounds coming from downstairs. When I descended to the common room, the smell of buttery eggs mixing with the faint hint of soy sauce and dashi, greeted me warmly.
In the kitchen, Sorata-senpai was busy moving between the stove and the cutting board. A few finished dishes were already lined up neatly by the counter, their steam fogging up the nearby window.
I approached the kitchen entrance and gave a small bow.
"Good morning, Sorata-senpai."
He glanced back, spatula in hand. "Ah, morning, Ren."
"Sorry if I disturbed anything,," I said with a polite smile.
"No, no, it's fine," he waved his hand dismissively before turning back to the pan. "I saw you going out when I woke up to start breakfast. You always exercise that early?"
"Yes," I nodded. "It's been my routine for years."
"Man… I could never do that," Sorata-senpai sighed, flicking the eggs with practiced motion. "Between taking care of Mashiro and the game competition coming up, I don't even have time to think about exercising."
I watched his back as he moved between tasks efficiently despite his complaints.
"Um… Sorata-senpai," I said softly, "I'm sorry if I'm disturbing, but… would you like some help with breakfast?"
He turned slightly, eyebrow raised. "You can cook?"
"Yes," I nodded again. "My mother… she always said a man should know how to take care of himself. She taught me since I was young."
Sorata's-senpai lips curled into a grin. "That's pretty cool. Alright then—show me what you can do."
He stepped aside to let me in front of the cutting board. There were still some vegetables left unprepared, so I picked up the knife, feeling its familiar weight, and began slicing them into clean, even pieces with swift precision.
Sorata-senpai let out a low whistle. "Whoa… those cuts are pro-level."
I gave a faint, embarrassed smile. "It's nothing special… just practice."
Next, I cracked a few eggs with one hand into a bowl, whisked them evenly, and poured them into the heated pan. As they sizzled, I folded them gently into a rolled omelette, shaping it neatly before placing it onto the serving dish.
Sorata-senpai watched with wide eyes. "Seriously… that was smooth. You've got some real technique there."
"Thank you," I said quietly, "I'm glad to be of help."
After that, Sorata-senpai glanced at the clock on the wall and let out a small sigh.
"Hey, Ren, mind helping me finish up the side dishes for the omelette? I still need to wake Mashiro up."
I blinked, then nodded. "Of course, Sorata-senpai."
"Thanks, I owe you one." He gave a tired smile before wiping his hands on a dish towel and heading out of the kitchen. "I'll be back in a bit."
And just like that, silence returned to the common room.
Only the faint sizzling of eggs against the pan, the rhythmic chopping of green onions under my kitchen knife, and the distant morning breeze brushing against the windows filled the emptiness. I moved quietly, whisking the beaten eggs with dashi, adding a pinch of sugar and soy sauce before pouring it into the pan in smooth layers.
It was peaceful. Calming, even.
A few minutes later, the front door opened with a creak, followed by hurried footsteps approaching the kitchen.
"Excuse me, Sorata—" Nanami-senpai's Kansai-accented voice came in, breathless and warm. She stepped into the kitchen, wiping sweat off her forehead, her cheeks flushed from exercise. Without looking up, she opened the freezer and reached in for her water bottle.
But when she turned around to speak again, her eyes widened as they landed on me.
"Ah—Ren-kun…?" Her voice cracked slightly, and she quickly closed the freezer door with a soft thud, looking embarrassed. "S-Sorry, I… I thought Sorata was here."
I paused mid-stir, giving her a small, polite smile. "Good morning, Nanami-senpai."
"Ah… y-yes. Good morning, Ren-kun." Nanami-senpai stammered slightly, gripping her water bottle tighter against her chest.
I just gave her a polite nod and turned back to the pan, gently rolling the omelette layer by layer. She was probably embarrassed from thinking I was Sorata-senpai. It felt right to give her space to recollect herself, so I kept silent, letting the sizzling fill the gap in our conversation.
After a short moment, I heard her take a quiet breath and clear her throat softly.
"Sorry, Ren-kun. I got it wrong for a second there… it's just, well, now it's Sorata's turn to cooking breakfast." Her tone regained that familiar calm, responsible warmth of hers. "Where is Sorata, by the way?"
I flicked my wrist, flipping the omelette onto a clean plate before answering. "He went to wake up Mashiro-senpai… but that was… around fifteen minutes ago, I think."
For a split second, her eyes flickered, losing a bit of their usual light – but just as quickly, she replaced it with a small, bright smile. "Oh… okay then."
Her voice turned chirpier, like she'd pressed some hidden switch to become her usual reliable senpai again. She tilted her head, watching me work. "Ren-kun, can you cook?"
I gave her a small nod, setting the pan down. "Yes. Certified by my mother, at least."
That earned me a soft laugh from her, muffled behind her water bottle as she took a sip. The sound was gentle – like a chime swaying in the wind.
I continued preparing the side dishes quietly, mincing pickled vegetables to plate alongside the tamagoyaki.
"I… don't want to bother you while you're focused," Nanami-senpai said after a moment, stepping back. "I'll go freshen up before breakfast. See you later, Ren-kun."
"See you later, Nanami-senpai."
I watched her retreating figure disappear around the corner, ponytail swaying lightly with each tired yet graceful step.
-----------------------------
When I placed the last plate on the dining table, I glanced at the old clock ticking quietly on the wall.
8:07 AM.
I exhaled softly, feeling the faint soreness in my arms from exercising earlier. As I stepped back into the kitchen to start cleaning up, I heard quiet footsteps descending the stairs.
Sorata-senpai appeared first, his hair neater than the morning I saw, a gentle lightness in his expression that hadn't been there earlier. His eyes didn't hold that usual exhausted glaze, and when he turned to speak to Mashiro-senpai beside him, his tone carried a softness I had seen before – affectionate, quiet, warm.
Mashiro-senpai followed a step behind, her blonde hair slightly mussed but her face as blank as ever. She tilted her head at something Sorata-senpai said, responding with a small hum. Their voices reached me faintly, but I couldn't catch the words – only the peaceful rhythm between them.
Sorata-senpai finally noticed me at the sink and called out, "Ah – thanks for helping out, Ren. Sorry it took me so long to wake Mashiro up."
I shook my head lightly, rinsing a cutting board under cold water. "It's fine. Especially after yesterday's welcome party… you seemed pretty tired."
Sorata-senpai let out a small, rueful laugh, scratching his cheek. "No, it's not okay… I should be the one doing all this."
I chuckled quietly, wiping down the last knife before setting it aside to dry. "It's just a kouhai's job to help out his senpai, right? Especially since we'll be living together from now on."
He paused for a moment, looking at me with a faint surprise before his lips curled into a genuine smile. "Yeah… thanks, Ren."
Mashiro-senpai drifted past him wordlessly, sitting down at the table with that same blank expression, her eyes flicking once to the steaming plates lined neatly before her.
Sorata-senpai followed, sitting beside her as naturally as breathing.
Not long after, I heard footsteps again. Nanami-senpai appeared, her hair still damp at the ends and her cheeks flushed slightly from her shower. Compared to earlier, she looked far more refreshed – her posture straighter, her usual dependable aura back in place.
"Good morning, Sorata. Mashiro," she greeted with a bright, gentle tone.
"Good morning, Nanami," Sorata-senpai replied with a small smile, while Mashiro-senpai blinked at her slowly.
"…Morning," Mashiro said in her usual soft monotone.
Without hesitation, Nanami stepped forward and wrapped her arms lightly around Mashiro's shoulders in a brief hug. Mashiro didn't return it, only sat there staring blankly ahead, but Nanami didn't seem to mind. She pulled back with a small laugh, her eyes crinkling warmly.
"Come on, Mashiro, wake up properly. Breakfast is ready. Don't sleepwalk through the whole morning, okay?"
Mashiro tilted her head slightly, her gaze still empty but following Nanami's voice like a sleepy cat drawn to a sunbeam.
"…I'm not asleep."
"That's what you always say," Nanami replied, shaking her head with a fond sigh.
Nanami-senpai then sat down across from Mashiro-senpai, brushing her hair behind her ear.
"So, Sorata, did you already finish your spring break homework for the new term?" Nanami-senpai asked, pouring herself tea.
Sorata-senpai let out a small groan. "Don't remind me… I was up until two in the morning working on it."
"That's because you kept helping Mashiro with her manuscript, didn't you?" Nanami-senpai said, giving him a pointed look.
Mashiro-senpai, still staring blankly at her omelette, spoke up in her quiet monotone. "Sorata helped me draw backgrounds. He was good."
Sorata-senpai scratched his cheek awkwardly. "I'm really not that good. It's just basic perspective grids and line work."
Nanami-senpai sighed but smiled faintly. "Honestly, Mashiro… don't rely on him for everything. He has his own deadlines, you know."
Mashiro-senpai blinked, then turned her gaze to Sorata-senpai. "…Is it bad if I rely on Sorata?"
"W-Well, that's not what I meant—" Nanami-senpai flustered slightly, waving her hands before regaining composure. "Just… balance it, okay? We're all third-years now. Sorata has his game competition this summer, I have auditions and interviews lined up, and you have… well, your manga deadlines with your editor, right?"
Mashiro-senpai nodded slowly, as if thinking. "My editor wants two more chapters by next week. And… Sorata helps me work faster."
Sorata-senpai chuckled tiredly. "Yeah… and I still need to polish the game mechanics before preliminaries. Time management's gonna be rough."
Mashiro-senpai tilted her head slightly. "Time management… can Sorata do it for me?"
"Don't just outsource your life like that!" Sorata-senpai snapped lightly, while Nanami-senpai let out a short laugh, shaking her head.
I silently observing their conversation.
Their exchange felt… peaceful, in a way. Familiar.
Even though Mashiro hardly reacted, Nanami treated her with a patient affection, like an older sister gently scolding her sibling for dozing off at the kotatsu. But unlike reading their conversation as plain text on a screen or dialogue in a anime and manga… I could see more than that.
This 'peaceful' dynamic they had – it was filled with so many emotions simmering beneath the surface. Small gestures, fleeting glances, half-finished sighs… they all told a different story.
And knowing how their friendship would end in the light novel… it felt even more obvious now. This calm, gentle morning was just a fragile moment before everything cracked apart.
The way Sorata-senpai's voice softened whenever he spoke to Mashiro-senpai… there was kindness in it, but also a faint undercurrent of tension when she mentioned backgrounds earlier.
Nanami-senpai, too… sometimes her gaze lingered on Sorata-senpai for just a moment longer than necessary when she spoke to him, before flicking away. Like she was quietly reminding herself where they stood.
And Mashiro-senpai… her dependency was growing, wasn't it? Relying on Sorata-senpai for everything, without hesitation. As if breathing and leaning on him were the same thing.
Her eyes – yes, they were focused on Sorata most of the time. But occasionally, when Sorata glanced at Nanami-senpai, Mashiro would go quiet, her gaze shifting to them both. Almost as if she was observing… studying them in silence.
It was becoming clearer now. Sorata's method was wrong. His intentions were kind, sure, but how he went about it… it was all wrong.
I mean, maybe I'd get it wrong too. But at least I'd try to research, to ask people, to reach out to professionals or even university specialists to find ways to truly help Mashiro. Not just… fulfil her whims like he was granting a child's wish.
It felt reckless. Like pouring gasoline onto a growing fire.
Mashiro's emotions weren't as empty as they seemed. She had them – curiosity, confusion, subtle glimmers of longing. Those were real. But she didn't understand them, didn't know how to name them. And now… she was just curious about Sorata. Curious about the warmth he gave her, a warmth she couldn't identify or define.
And because that curiosity was fed – no, ignited – by Sorata-senpai's constant care, by him fulfilling her needs without ever trying to help her understand what she was feeling… she became more and more dependent on him. It was inevitable.
She started to believe she was in love with him. Not because she understood what love meant, but because everyone around her told her that's what it was. Because society, stories, and everyone said, "If someone takes care of you like that, it must be love."
But… was it really love?
Love that was driven by survival and dependence, built on confusion and unspoken lies… was that love at all?
Mashiro thought it was normal to think "I love Sorata."
She never questioned it – never paused to ask what affection really felt like, what it meant to love someone with your whole soul, rather than just clinging to the warmth they gave you to keep yourself from freezing in the dark.
And so, someday, she would become his girlfriend and wife.
Because that's what she thought she was supposed to do.
Because "I'm in love with Sorata."
I pulled out a chair beside Nanami-senpai and sat down quietly.
Nanami-senpai and Sorata-senpai seemed a little startled at my sudden movement, but Mashiro-senpai just quietly watched me, as if she already knew I was about to sit down.
Nanami-senpai blinked, then gave me a gentle smile. "Ah— sorry, Ren-kun. I didn't greet you properly earlier while you were cleaning… and thank you for helping with breakfast."
Sorata-senpai rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Yeah, sorry too. I got caught up talking with Nanami and Mashiro. Thanks for cleaning up the kitchen."
I shook my head lightly. "It's okay, really. Let's just eat while it's still hot."
My tone stayed calm and polite, like always.
Sorata-senpai glanced at Mashiro-senpai, then gestured to the table. "Mashiro, don't forget to thank Ren-kun. Half of these side dishes are his work."
Mashiro-senpai looked at me blankly for a second before bowing her head slightly. "Thank you, Ren."
I smiled back at her, as if nothing had happened. "You're welcome, Mashiro-senpai."