Please Don't Tell My Brother

Haruto was tidying up his school desk, slipping notebooks and pens into his bag, when his phone suddenly buzzed. The screen lit up with a call from an unknown number.

He lifted a brow, debating whether to answer. It could easily be spam, but his mood was unusually good today. 

After a moment's thought, he shrugged and swiped to accept the call.

"Hello? Who's this?" he asked, leaning back in his chair, his tone casual.

There was a brief pause before a familiar voice responded.

"Is this… Haruto?" a woman's voice echoed through the speaker, soft but unmistakable.

Haruto straightened, his brow furrowing. "Yeah. This is… Wait—Erika?" His tone shifted, suspicion creeping in. 

Her voice had been etched in his mind ever since he'd seen her with Ren at the aquarium.

"Yeah, it's me." Erika's voice softened, but there was a hint of hesitation. "I wanted to talk to you for a bit. Do you have time?"