Lunch for Three

"So? Did you end up getting the job?"

The next day after school, Itsuki asked Amane how everything had gone. Amane gave an honest nod in response to his question and lightly shrugged his shoulders.

"Kido was the one recommending you, so I wasn't all that worried," Itsuki confessed. "Though I'm glad that it's a done deal nonetheless. That said, however, I am curious about why you look like you have something to get off your chest."

"Honestly… you're not wrong. The owner was quite the interesting person, to say the least."

"She must really have a few screws loose if it was enough for you to point it out, Amane." Itsuki said. "And that makes me all the more curious." In response, Amane only smiled awkwardly at Itsuki, who was leaning against his chair and tilting it back and forth using his body weight. Amane intended to keep the specifics a secret for now, mostly because he believed that if he ever told Itsuki, he would end up making an appearance right away.

Amane planned to ask his friends to hold back from visiting him at the café until he had, at the very least, gotten used to the job. That sentiment remained true even for Mahiru. When he explained this to her in the morning, she began to sulk pointedly, after which the rest of his morning was then devoted to showering her with love and affection until she was back in high spirits again.

And now, Mahiru happened to be chatting with Chitose, who seemed to be grinning at him for whatever reason. Not wanting to entertain Chitose by giving a reaction, Amane chose to look away and ignore her before continuing the conversation.

"That said, while I do think she's a bit of an oddball, I'm confident I can work there without a hitch. Plus, Kido told me to rely on Kayano if I'm ever in need of help."

"Oh. Kido's boyfriend, right? The undercover macho dude."

"I bet he'd be at a loss for words if you said that to his face, man…" Amane remarked. "But then he'd just give Kido a death stare, probably."

Rather than blame Itsuki, Souji would instead be the type to focus his crosshairs on Ayaka, who was clearly the root of the problem, as she was the one putting that idea into people's heads to begin with.

Ayaka herself didn't feel too remorseful, or so it seemed. Rather, she was more likely to return fire, responding with something like, "What's so wrong about it?" so Amane felt the need to offer his condolences to Souji, who without realizing it, had now garnered that reputation, despite it being against his wishes. As luck would have it, Ayaka still hadn't arrived yet. She either hadn't come to school yet or was in Souji's classroom, because she was currently nowhere to be seen.

"Anyway, just knowing an acquaintance that works there gives me a sense of security, and from what I've heard from the owner, the regulars are generally older in age and the easy-going type, so I don't think I'll run into any issues."

"Oh really? That's good to hear. Whatever the case, you scoring the job is something worth celebrating. If anything happens down the line, don't be afraid to come talk to me about it, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be counting on you, best friend." Amane gave Itsuki, who seemingly still held a grudge, a slap on the back. Then, as if hiding his embarrassment, Itsuki carved his mouth into a grin and hit Amane back with much greater force in retaliation.

This, too, was one of the ways Itsuki expressed his friendship, so Amane coughed a little and chuckled, saying, "You little shit…" while gently pressing his fist up against Itsuki's cheek.

While playfully launching an attack on the side of Itsuki's head, Amane glanced at Mahiru for a moment, and found her looking at him with a slightly dissatisfied 'Hmph—' look on her face.

It seemed that Mahiru was still unhappy that she couldn't come along with Amane to his part-time job. She was clearly still thinking about the conversation this morning, and that sour sentiment seemed to loom over everything she was doing.

However, as upset as she was, Mahiru understood its necessity rationally, and after the spoiling time she had in the morning, she seemed convinced that she simply needed to endure the wait. Therefore, there shouldn't be any complications long term.

Itsuki, following Amane's gaze, suddenly teased, "You're as loved as ever, aren't you?" to which Amane began to frown. Itsuki chuckled meekly as he absentmindedly brushed away Amane's fist.

"That reminds me, didn't Shiina-san and Chi go out shopping with your mom yesterday, Amane? Chi told me all about how she had plenty of fun helping pick out clothes for you, but what did Shiina-san buy in the end?"

"...Do I really have to tell you?"

"But of course, my best friend. Out with it. After all, you did leave me out of the loop last time."

"So you are still holding that against me…" Amane accused. "So… well, what she bought for me was… a cat-themed pajama onesie."

Amane reluctantly spilled the beans, recalling with horror the contents of the shopping bag that Mahiru had given him yesterday, and in response, Itsuki burst into an incredibly loud fit of laughter. Indeed. What Shihoko and Mahiru had bought for Amane was, unmistakably, a onesie with cat ears on its hood, meant as pajamas.

Surely, with such an outfit being too cute for its own good and clearly made with women in mind, the mental image made for a laughably poor fit for Amane, who was taller than most boys. But sensing the thought crossing Itsuki's mind, Amane continued, "Yes, they even had men's ones, too…" Amane completely confirmed it, fully aware that the girls had obtained one in a size that would fit even his proportions with ease. This left Itsuki at an absolute loss for words.

"A-Animal themed pajamas…? You?"

"Drop it, man. Mahiru's gonna wear a bunny-themed one in return, so it's all good."

Given Amane's age and build, wearing such undeniably cute pajamas would embarrass him beyond belief. However, as Mahiru had pleaded to him with such sparkling eyes, he simply had no choice in the matter. He likely would have refused if it meant wearing one on his own, but Mahiru must've realized that it would have been unfair of her to propose such a thing, because as compensation, she had also bought pale pink pajamas with a bunny-rabbit motif for herself, also in the form of a onesie.

Thus, under the condition that Mahiru would also wear her pajamas at the same time and with a veto on taking pictures, Amane agreed to wear the onesie.

He figured that they'd probably wear them during a future sleepover.

Compared to the negligee Mahiru had come in wearing last time, her new one would probably be a much more wholesome look for her. Amane was grateful that he'd have an easy time suppressing his inner demons.

"Gonna have Shiina-san send over a pic of you wearin' it," Itsuki joked. "Hey, don't even go there. I've already told her to absolutely not take any pictures."

"Aww, c'mon~! That much is fine, man. You'll probably look all cute and adorable."

"Wipe that damn smirk off your face before saying that, dumbass."

Itsuki, making up his mind to do something he probably shouldn't, struggled to hold back his laughter as Amane grabbed him by the shoulders. Not counterattacking, Itsuki simply shook himself free, barely preventing himself from bursting into laughter once more.

All the while Chitose and Mahiru stood a short distance away. They nodded at each other, with Chitose commenting, "Those two really are close, don't you think?" to which Mahiru replied, "Yes, they are," as they witnessed Amane launch a half-hearted attack on Itsuki with the most sullen face he could muster.

✧ ₊ ✦ ₊ ✧

Amane usually ate lunch with Mahiru and the others, but today he had arranged to eat with Ayaka and Souji, at her invitation. While Ayaka didn't explicitly say it, Amane figured that Ayaka was creating an opportunity for him to deepen his friendship with Souji, since they would be working together in the same store before long.

Amane had accepted her invitation obediently. Despite Souji being Ayaka's boyfriend, Amane had practically never had a conversation with him before this point, so getting acquainted with him beforehand would obviously be beneficial in the long run. It was more appealing than having to work alongside him while starting from scratch as strangers.

Ayaka led Amane all the way up to the roof, and he noted that Souji was apparently waiting for them. Souji had already laid out a picnic blanket for the three of them, and since he wasn't surprised in the slightest after seeing Amane, he must've already known that Amane was coming.

"And so, it has been decided that Fujimiya-kun will be working together with Sou-chan! Let the celebration commence!" Ayaka exclaimed.

She had a bright and amiable smile on her face as she looked at Amane, who had sat down on a corner of the blanket. Meanwhile, Souji, even after seeing him being smiled at by Ayaka, looked at Amane indifferently—or rather, somewhat pityingly.

"Ah…" Souji realized something. "You fell victim to one of Ayaka's schemes, I bet."

"H-How rude of you to call it that! I just guided the appropriate personnel to the appropriate workplace! That's all!"

"Well, one way or another, I do think Fujimiya's a good fit for that shop…" "You see, you see? Sou-chan, I reckon you ought to reconsider your stance

on me just a little bit. Geez." Ayaka looked considerably more childish than usual, and this was likely a side to her that she only showed in front of Souji. Amane couldn't help but be amused.

"I wouldn't say that," Amane interjected. "I was the one who asked for this opportunity, so Kido was actually helping me out."

"Is that so? I bet Fumika-san left you a little bewildered, though," Souji guessed.

"Well, can't deny that…"

Amane hadn't expected her to be that sort of woman, and frankly, he was a little intimidated at first. By no means was she a bad person, though, and Amane believed that people like her would be easy to handle once he gave her enough material to work with, so he wasn't against sharing some stories with her so long as it wouldn't cause any harm to him or Mahiru.

However, that didn't take away from the fact that if Ayaka had told him beforehand, Amane wouldn't have needed to play things by ear, so in a sense, he did have a bone to pick with her. Glancing over at Ayaka, she seemed to be unwrapping the bento she had brought along rather nervously.

"I mean…" Ayaka's body tensed up a little. "I had no idea how to even begin explaining someone like Aunt Fumika. Her personality is so… intense…"

"True, but I did get the job in the end, so it's all good. And really, I don't think she's a bad person, either," Amane shared his thoughts on the matter.

"She is a good person, you know? It's just that, she'll spoil you to a preposterous extent once she takes a liking to you, and she's a bit of a natural airhead. Her daydreams are a daily occurrence."

"Well, it's not necessarily a bad thing if it's her source of inspiration, I guess. As long as it doesn't cause any real harm, that is."

"...I don't think there's any harm in it, yeah. Well, uh, probably."

Amane was tempted to poke fun at her lack of certainty, but decided against it since it wasn't entirely Ayaka's fault. Instead, he began to unwrap the homemade bento that Mahiru had prepared for him.

Yesterday, Shuuto had prepared dinner, opting for pasta, so Amane's lunch consisted of last night's leftovers and extra ingredients set aside after cooking, as well as some side dishes that Mahiru had whipped up for him in the morning. He felt extremely bad about having her make a decent amount of side dishes so early in the morning, but she seemed to be enjoying herself, so he couldn't bring himself to stop her.

Feeling guilty for her daily troubles, Amane even considered preparing his lunch himself, but Mahiru would get upset every time he brought it up, saying things like, "Were you not satisfied with the food I made…?" so he couldn't bring himself to put the idea into practice.

Incidentally, Amane's parents would be on their way home by the time Amane and Mahiru finished school, so they had already said their goodbyes over the phone this morning. The conversation was brief and casual, and that was because they'd already promised to visit them again during winter or spring break.

"Oh, did Shiina-san make that for you?" Ayaka asked, her smile oozing with curiosity.

Ayaka observed Amane open his bento, noticing his satisfaction upon realizing that Mahiru's homemade dashimaki tamago was included once again.

"Yep, Mahiru made this one for me. And as for these sweet-and-sour dango, my dad made them for me when he was here," answered Amane.

"Oh, so your dad can cook, huh? Mine's the same," Ayaka shared. "My mom can't cook, and she can't do housework for the life of her, so my dad does everything in the house."

"I get the feeling Kaori-san's more of a special case, though," Souji chimed in.

Kaori must be referring to Ayaka's mother. She was absolutely hopeless at doing housework, it seemed.

"...E–Eerm, just to clarify any misunderstandings, my mom's actually really good at doing her job, okay? She just struggles a bit with household chores! She hasn't exploded the microwave lately, and she can at least do the laundry!"

"It's her fault for not checking what she puts in the microwave to begin with," Souji argued. "And for laundry, it's just a matter of adding detergent and turning the washing machine on."

"Are you even trying to defend her, Sou-chan?"

"You brought this up yourself, Ayaka…" returned Souji. "Plus, I didn't say that Kaori-san was to blame, did I?" Once she heard this, Ayaka realized that she'd accidentally let the cat out of the bag herself, and her face twisted into a grimace.

For the time being, Amane decided to act as if he hadn't heard a thing and looked away, feigning ignorance.

"W-Well, I guess that's why my parents wanted me to be able to handle the chores around the house—and I have learned, you know? But my dad still always finds something to complain about."

"She was raised in hopes that she'd become girly and lady-like. That's fine and all, but this girl ended up getting addicted to muscles, so they often came crying to me. 'Ayaka's always chasing after naked men,' they'd say."

!?

"Talk about foul-mouthed!" Eyes wide, Ayaka made her dissatisfaction known in a voice bordering on a yell; anyone who wasn't familiar with the situation would likely misunderstand that statement. Not like you can deny it, though, Amane mused, picking out the truth in his words.

Saying that she loves muscles means that she wants to see them with bare skin, after all.

From Ayaka's point of view, she simply sought physical beauty without any ulterior motives, but her father, who witnessed this on a daily basis, seemed to be shedding a tear or two at his daughter's predilections.

"You were a bad influence on me, Sou-chan. And besides, I'm not chasing after any man! I only have eyes for you, Sou-chan. It's your fault!"

"Don't go blaming others for that." "Buh is'sh your fwault, Sou-hyan!"

Souji played with Ayaka's cheeks and listened to Ayaka grumble out her complaints. Amane watched the two of them interact, and couldn't help but chuckle. Perhaps it was in part due to their relationship, but he guessed that they had this kind of bond since they were kids. He found it refreshing to see a couple with a dynamic different from that of Itsuki and Chitose.

"...Wh–Why are you laughing?" Ayaka pressed, noticing Amane's chuckle. "No real reason, I just found it nice how close you two are."

"You're the last person I wanna hear that from, Fujimiya-kun. Especially when you're always so lovey-dovey with Shiina-san. You wear your heart on your sleeve."

"We're not that flirty."

"Nu-uh, you definitely are. I get embarrassed just watching you two."

Ayaka pointed at him sharply with her index finger, but Souji quickly grabbed her hand and said, "Don't point at people like that," as he lowered her hand. They're so comfortable with each other. Amane sighed silently at the scene.

"...It's not like I do it on purpose," said Amane as he watched the two of them, answering her question.

"So you two are flirting on a daily basis, then?" Souji deduced. "That's impressive."

"Oh, hush."

"You say that, but that's probably the reason why he decided to work part- time for Shiina-san in the first place," Ayaka chipped in, sharing her perspective. "I say it's amazing that he's able to act with their future in mind."

"...Ah, so that's why you suddenly decided on a part-time job. It was for Shiina-san's sake. I didn't mark you as someone who's comfortable serving customers, Fujimiya, so I thought it was strange at first. That explains it."

Souji nodded in understanding, seemingly making a mental note of an important new fact. Ayaka looked a little awkward following that, perhaps because Amane hadn't explained it to her—or rather, because he'd kind of asked her not to tell others too much about it.

Ayaka was likely thinking right now that she had broken her promise by mentioning that Amane was doing it for Mahiru's sake. However, he was going to be working with Souji at the same place, and it wouldn't be long before he would be questioned about it, even if he did try to keep his reasons hidden, doing so would be pointless in the long run. As long as Ayaka and Souji didn't reveal it to Mahiru, Amane had no issues with these two knowing.

"Keep it a secret from Mahiru, 'kay? I wanna surprise her." "E–xa–ctly," said Ayaka. "You mustn't tell anyone, Sou-chan." "Ayaka. You let it slip, didn't you?"

"Ouch!" Tears in her eyes, Ayaka clutched her forehead as Souji flicked her with a helpless look. He then gave Amane, who was taken aback, an awkward smile.

"Well, if that's the case, then I understand. If there's anything I can do to help, I'll do what I can," offered Souji.

After a brief moment of silence, "...Thank you," Amane offered his gratitude.

"I should be the one thanking you, man. Thanks for becoming friends with this knucklehead here." Souji said, as he tilted his head towards Ayaka.

"...Hmm? How odd! Wasn't I supposed to be the one engineering a new friendship for you, Sou-chan…? As a matter of fact, I hope you realize that I'm not some kind of pathetic girl that you need to worry about in the first place?"

"But you tend to spill all kinds of secrets when you talk, Ayaka."

"That's so mean!!"

Ayaka pouted angrily at the way Souji worded his comment, and she playfully pounded on his chest, which according to her, was 'amazing when undressed.' Watching them, Amane felt a warmth rise up in his chest.

"Oh, and about the part-time job, Auntie mentioned that you'll need to wait a bit before starting, apparently a week or two. She needs to sort out the shift schedule and your uniform, stuff like that."

The couple's mini romcom skit had settled down, and they resumed having lunch, though that last bit came out of Ayaka in a hushed tone, like she had just remembered something vital.

Since Amane hadn't submitted his signed contract to Fumika yet, she didn't know his phone number or any other kind of contact information. Therefore, it seemed that she had no choice but to entrust Ayaka with any messages for Amane.

Even Ayaka, peculiar as she was, knew not to hand over Amane's contact information without his permission. So even now that procedures for the job were almost done and over, she still had to play the role of messenger.

"That's fine." Amane assured. "I wasn't expecting to start immediately, anyways. By the way, about the uniforms…"

"Oh, they're not like the ones we had at the café we hosted the other day. Your uniform will be more on the simple side, like the typical outfit that waiters wear. The women's ones are simpler, too. They're not frilly at all, so don't worry."

"To be honest, I was wondering what I'd do if the clothes were on the flashy side."

Since Fumika had chosen to meet Amane on a day the café was closed, seemingly on purpose, he didn't know what their uniforms looked like. But he was relieved to know that it was something he didn't need to worry about.

Though his uniform at the cultural festival was relatively unadorned, it was still somewhat flashy. Potentially wearing something similar on a daily basis would have proven tough, even if it was for his job.

But his personal preference wasn't the main issue. More than anything, if he was caught in a flashy outfit by one of his friends while on shift, it would only spell trouble. Amane's head hurt just thinking about it. He had been swept along by the excitement of the cultural festival, and since he knew it was only for a mere two days, he wore the uniform he was given—but he still felt a little reluctant to imagine wearing something like that on a regular basis.

Thank goodness, Amane was relieved. They're just regular waiter clothes. Then, as if something suddenly struck her, "Oh, wait a minute—" Ayaka exclaimed abruptly.

"—Uh, I told her your size, Fujimiya-kun. Was that okay?" "I'm cool with it, but how'd you find it out?"

"I remember it from the outfit you wore at the cultural festival, and I can tell just by looking," Ayaka explained, grinning all the while. "I can more or less determine the size of a boy's body, even when covered by clothes," she added, so perhaps it was a technique born from her passion for muscles.

"Just come out and say it honestly—that you're clearly a pervert," Souji remarked rudely as he listened in from the sidelines, not even trying to mask his annoyance.

"You're so mean!" Ayaka shot back, now starting to sulk. "Seriously, geez.

…Ah, and just to clarify, while I can piece together the general idea by looking, it's not like I can figure out the quality or density of their muscles without touching them… N-Needless to say, though, I won't sexually harass anyone, okay? I only inspect in detail when given consent."

"S-So you say… Well, I'm glad it saves me the trouble of telling you my size… I guess?"

"Ayaka, look, you're scaring him off. Fujimiya, you don't have to force yourself to go along with this girl, just so you know."

"It's not nice to call someone 'this'." Ayaka made a cute show of getting angry, but when she met eyes with Amane, she frowned awkwardly, looking troubled. "I'm sorry about that. I showed you a weird side of me."

"Huh? Don't be. It's nothing new…"

"Ugh… that sure stings. But I can't say anything in my defense… I've been acting like this since the cultural festival, after all. As if it was totally normal, too…"

"Uh—well, that's true. It's obvious that you have different hobbies from the people around you, Kido, and I understand that. But I wouldn't say I have any particular issue with it… Well, not unless that hobby brings harm to anyone else, anyway. Everyone has their own preferences and interests. I wouldn't consider it creepy, nor would I criticize you for it."

It would be a different story if Amane fell victim in some way due to those tastes, but as long as no problems arose, he had no intention—or any right, for that matter—of kicking up a fuss about it. It's a given that everyone has their own preferences, and as long as it doesn't harm others, they ought to be respected. In the first place, Amane couldn't recall being raised to exclude others simply because they were different from him.

What's more, Amane couldn't shake the feeling that Mahiru was slowly but surely developing a muscle fetish of her own behind the scenes, so he couldn't completely write it off as someone else's problem. Perhaps it would be appropriate for him to complain about Ayaka's influence in the matter, but since Mahiru was enjoying herself and it resulted in her liking more aspects of him, then it ought to be a good thing… probably.

Sure, Amane had no intention of rejecting or shaming Ayaka's intense muscle fetish, since he considered that the things that make Ayaka happy were none of his business, but it was only natural to feel a little uneasy about it.

"I don't even have the right to complain about others in the first place," murmured Amane as he grabbed Mahiru's homemade dashimaki tamago with his chopsticks. Ayaka, overcome with emotion, patted Amane on the shoulder with a wide smile.

"You really had a good upbringing, Fujimiya-kun! You're such a good guy.

I can see why Shiina-san fell for you!" "...Ayaka."

"What are you getting jealous of, Sou-chan? I only have eyes for you, so don't worry…"

"No—I mean, that's fine and all, but that's not what I meant. It's just that Fujimiya looks devastated…"

Due to the slap on his shoulder, Amane's dashimaki tamago slipped out from between his chopsticks and fell right into the sweet-and-sour meatball sauce made from yesterday's leftovers.

In a stroke of good fortune, it hadn't fallen onto the picnic blanket or his clothes. But for someone like Amane, who preferred to savor the delicate combination of seasonings used for his egg dish, the change in flavor seemed to give his system quite the shock. He was frozen in place for a few moments, and Souji had taken that to be him in low spirits.

"S-Sorry! I didn't mean to!" Ayaka panicked as she saw Amane staring at his dashimaki tamago covered in sweet-and-sour sauce.

"N-No, it's not a problem. I can still eat it. It didn't touch the ground or anything, and this sauce is pretty delicious, too…"

"You're totally devastated! I'm so sorry! I'll get down on my hands and knees and ask Shiina-san to make some more for you later!"

"N-No need. It's all good."

In truth, Amane wasn't all that bent out of shape about it, but with Ayaka apologizing so earnestly, he smiled encouragingly back at her in return. Even so, she still bowed her head for some reason, looking incredibly apologetic.

✧ ₊ ✦ ₊ ✧

"You really are fond of your dashimaki tamago, aren't you, Amane-kun?" Mahiru grinned.

Seemingly up-to-date on the whole Ayaka situation, Mahiru smiled and commented on it, the first chance she got. With neither of them having plans to go out after school, they were walking home together as they usually did, side- by-side. While deciding what they should eat for dinner, Mahiru mentioned what Ayaka had told her. "I was delighted to hear about it," she continued.

Mahiru giggled away, clearly amused by Amane's reaction, but since she laughed in an elegant way, she attracted the gazes of nearby onlookers and they quickly turned to look in her direction.

Amane squeezed their linked hands, trying to get her to stop laughing unnecessarily, but her grin didn't seem to subside. He had the urge to pinch Mahiru's cheeks, but given the fact that he was holding her bag in one hand, and holding her hand with the other, he wasn't able to.

"I put them in your bento often, do I not? I gave you the leftovers this morning, and I sometimes serve it for dinner too, you know?"

"I get that you make it for me all the time, but I was really looking forward to enjoying it properly at that moment." Amane was a tad sulky in his reply.

"Geez. Thanks to that, Kido-san apologized to me with a really serious look on her face, and she even begged me to make another one for you."

Ayaka seemed to feel responsible for what had happened, and she apologized earnestly, going as far as to bow her head in front of Mahiru.

However, Amane didn't want to pin the blame on Ayaka. He was the one who felt a little down over something so insignificant, and to begin with, it hadn't even dropped on the floor. A minor change in taste was all it was.

He hadn't anticipated that Ayaka would actually go and apologize, and he had been told that she had done so while Amane wasn't around. Now he felt bad, given how far Ayaka went to try and make amends for something like that.

"I feel sorry for Kido, to be frank. I think I've done her an injustice—I just went and got a little disheartened on my own."

"I was told you had a very serious look on your face, Amane-kun." "Well, I mean… that was your dashimaki tamago, Mahiru."

"I can make it for you anytime you like." "...Even for dinner?"

"We only just decided on what to eat, but you already want to change the menu? It can't be helped, you can be so fickle at times," said Mahiru, acting a little exasperated. "Good grief." Despite that, her voice sounded cheerful and somewhat lively, so she didn't appear to mind.

She gave him a tender smile as she treated him like a child, and Amane, feeling a little embarrassed, focused his attention on keeping that from showing on his face.

"Okay. Let's have some dashimaki tamago for dinner tonight, then. But in return, I'll have you pamper me to my heart's content."

"Really? If that's all you want, then by all means. I'll do it even without you asking."

If Mahiru, who was fundamentally a well put together woman, wanted Amane to fawn all over her, he would gladly accept—in fact, he wanted to do it whether she asked him or not. One could even say that spoiling Mahiru had become one of his hobbies.

Amane had agreed to it without a second thought, and Mahiru, who had proposed the idea in the first place, flinched.

"...That would be troublesome in its own way," she said. "Why's that?"

"That's… because you don't know how to hold back, Amane-kun." "Hold back? Was I being that rough?"

"I wouldn't call it rough, but… It's just that, when you decide to spoil me, you go all out…"

"Yeah, gotta honor my promises."

As someone who saw things through to the end once he decided on something, unless there was a compelling reason not to, Amane was more than willing to dote on Mahiru as much as she wanted, if she so wished.

While he wouldn't do anything that would make her uncomfortable, he thought it appropriate to indulge her enough to make her melt with delight.

"...I always end up in a predicament when you go too far with your pampering," Mahiru moped, before whispering, "My legs get all weak and I struggle to stand."

Amane couldn't help but chuckle at Mahiru. When it came to pampering, he never went further than kissing or hugging, but Mahiru seemed to find even that level of intimacy challenging.

Amane often witnessed firsthand how she would become limp and melt when he spoiled her excessively, but Mahiru herself didn't enjoy being like that.

If he mentioned how cute she was being, she would blush faintly and whisper, "That's because you keep going at it without stopping," in a cute, sulky, yet spoiled voice.

"Anyway, try not to go overboard with your pampering," Mahiru urged. "Please treat me as you usually would."

"You say that, but I've always done it the way that's normal for me." "...So this is the technique passed down through the Fujimiya bloodline…" "I'm not nearly as good at it as my dad is, though."

As one would expect, Amane hadn't acquired the same high-level pampering skills and techniques as his father, and couldn't do it as naturally as he did. To Amane, Shuuto was an incredibly kind and gentle person, very affectionate toward his family.

Shuuto never pampered his family excessively in a way that would affect their physical or mental well-being like some kind of poison. It wasn't that simple. Instead, he paid close attention to his family, more so than anyone else, and knew when to distance himself and gently watch over them when they needed it the most. He would pamper them in a way that was beneficial to them, and always offered the deepest love he could muster.

As far as Amane was concerned, he wanted to be a little more reserved and calmer than his father was, but the way Shuuto treated his family was one of Amane's ideals, and Amane aspired to be like him.

In Amane's opinion, Mahiru had a strong sense of self-discipline and tended to put up a tough front, so he felt that if he didn't spoil her from time to time, she ran the risk of pushing herself until she breaks. Amane, between his attempts to try and melt her heart, tried to spoil her in moderation, but Mahiru seemed to take even that as too much affection.

"I would love to see Shihoko-san hear you say that line, Amane-kun," Mahiru noted. "It's a shame that she is no longer here."

"Why are you bringing up Mom? …Well, it's no surprise, given that she needed to go back home."

Considering that his parents had to go to work tomorrow, it was only natural that they had already set off.

Things had been quite lively due to the cultural festival and the subsequent day off, so now that he was reminded of his parents leaving, he felt surprisingly aware of the contrast of them not being here.

"I'll miss them," Mahiru mumbled.

"I'm sure. You looked like you were having a whale of a time when Mom and Dad came, after all."

"Of course I had lots of fun. I got to hear old stories about you too, Amane- kun."

"...Perhaps a special, extra-large serving of pampering is in order," Amane teased, seeking playful revenge.

"Huh? Th-That's a little…"

Mahiru panicked after hearing Amane's chosen method of payback, who had decided to thoroughly pamper her in efforts to reveal what his parents had told her. But Mahiru had brought this upon herself, given her slip of the tongue.

If Amane remained unaware, he would have been more lenient in his pampering, but that ship had already sailed.

Now, how shall I get back at her…?

Amane smiled evilly, devising the best ways in which to make her give in and spill the beans, and Mahiru's face twitched slightly as she headbutted Amane's upper arm until they reached the supermarket.

✧ ₊ ✦ ₊ ✧

"...E-Erm, you see, Amane-kun…, I believe you ought to go easy on me."

After dinner, Mahiru looked up at Amane with a bright red face as he carried out the extra-large serving of pampering.

They were only sitting on the sofa together, with Amane petting her, but Mahiru was terribly embarrassed. He hadn't even touched her in a particularly sexual way or anything, but her face was boiling—perhaps because he had been looking at her face while patting her on the head, or because she'd been leaning against him while resting on his lap.

"You say I need to go easy on you, but you still haven't told me what you heard from my parents," Amane taunted, applying some pressure.

"L–Like I have been saying, there were no stories of your past that you need to worry about!"

"And the specifics are?"

"...Like when you were little, you were swinging too hard on the swings, flew off, and then cried. Or how you tried to kiss Shihoko-san on the cheek but put too much force into it and headbutted her by accident…"

"Aaand that's out. I shall spare no mercy with your pu–nish–ment." "No way...!"

As a child, Amane often got too caught up by his mother's enthusiasm, which resulted in him also getting carried away and making mischief, but just the thought of Mahiru finding out about it was so embarrassing that he considered it a form of fresh punishment for him.

Especially when the story of kissing one's mother on the cheek as a child was something nobody should ever bring up with a man. That topic was the epitome of one's dark history.

It was clear that compared to Mahiru, who was in the middle of being doted on, Amane was much more embarrassed, having his past deeds exposed, and worse yet, it had almost escaped his notice.

Kissing his mother was only a failed attempt to begin with, so that was a non-issue. However, since this was Shihoko they were talking about, it wouldn't be surprising if she went in for some cheek rubs or kisses herself, so Amane wanted to dance around the subject, otherwise it would give him a headache.

Rather than tell her not to ask needless questions, Amane slid his finger along the side of Mahiru's body, tracing it with the softest of touches. Mahiru shuddered and her cheeks trembled as she looked up at him.

She was probably begging him to stop, of course, but Amane had no intention of stopping as this was her 'punishment'. He assumed that Shihoko was the one who brought up the topic in conversation, but there was no mistaking that Mahiru must have listened in with keen interest.

You're guilty by association, was the message Amane conveyed as he moved his fingers gently and tenderly across her body.

Mahiru was far too sensitive to tickling, so he held back as he did so, but she let out a scream in a higher pitch than usual and clung onto Amane tightly. She didn't try to run for it, likely because she would have lost her balance.

"Eek… Fuah—I-I'm sorry!" "...Anything else you've heard?"

Wanting to wring out all of the unnecessary tales that Shihoko had told her, Amane decided to try harder to convince her to lay bare all her secrets, and tenderly traced the curves of her waistline, as if teasing her with a feather, prompting Mahiru to squirm and writhe in agony while doing her best to hold back her laughter.

"Th-That was all she told me this time!"

"This time…," Amane zeroed in on her wording. "I-It's just a figure of speech.,."

"...Even if you really have told me everything, I get the feeling you're planning to hear more of such stories from now on, young lady. Don't you think it's unfair that only my dark history is being revealed?"

"B-But, well, that's because… I had more pressing worries than a dark history back then…"

"Well, when you put it that way, there's clearly nothing more I can say," conceded Amane, stopping his tickling.

Amane may have accidentally reminded her of some unpleasant memories. Mahiru viewed her childhood as a time when she received neither love nor protection from her parents, so it was probably a topic she preferred to remain untouched, and a topic that he tried his hardest to not remind her of.

Feeling apologetic for bringing up the topic, Amane frowned worryingly and looked at Mahiru, she smiled back faintly as if she had seen through Amane's train of thought.

"It's okay. You don't have to worry about that," Mahiru tried to reassure him, "It's not that important to me anymore, and I'm satisfied with how things are now. That's all that matters."

"Mahiru…," Amane called out her name worryingly.

"Besides, I was an obedient child at the time, so I wasn't as mischievous as you were, Amane-kun."

"Well excuse me for being so troublesome," Amane said in response to her teasing. "…True though, I can't imagine you acting like a tomboy, Mahiru."

He pulled on her cheeks in retaliation as he tried to imagine what Mahiru was like when she was little.

Certainly, it was tough to imagine Mahiru having a tomboyish side to her.

It appeared that even from such a young age, Mahiru was on her best behavior trying to get acknowledged by her parents, which meant she must have been a lot quieter and more compliant than she was now. It was much easier to imagine a Mahiru that kept to herself, so Amane was curious to see what a more tomboyish Mahiru would have been like.

...I wonder if I'll be able to see something like that if we have a child that resembles Mahiru.

Amane had a feeling that their child would grow to be sensible no matter which parent they took after, but he wouldn't know until the child was born.

Whether their child would be sensible, tomboyish, or mischievous, they would be cute in their own way. Rather than resemble the unendearing Amane, he would absolutely prefer them to grow up in Mahiru's image.

If Itsuki caught wind of this, he'd say, "Ain'tcha getting ahead of yourself there, bud?" Amane imagined the situation in his head as Mahiru buried her face deep into his chest while smiling to herself, rubbing her cheeks against him.

"...I wasn't very cute when I was little, you know?" she cleared up. "I was just trying to be a good girl so that my parents would praise me. It paid off in a way, since I was able to do a lot of things for my age, but in the end, people still talked about me behind my back about me lacking any charm."

"By who?"

"I wonder. The mother of a child who happened to be playing with me at the time, perhaps." Mahiru answered, before noticing something. "...Amane-kun, your face. Mind your face."

"But—I mean…"

Amane couldn't believe people would speak ill of a child when they were within earshot, so he subconsciously scowled in offended horror, after which Mahiru tried to calm him down.

He had plenty of things he would like to say to that unknown mother who revealed her negative thoughts far too easily, despite the fact that children were especially vulnerable to being hurt. But regardless of what he thought, since it was a thing of the past, there was really nothing he could do.

Luckily, Mahiru didn't appear to be brooding over the situation, and instead, she looked like she was taking the memory in stride, but Amane was still irked at the thought of it leaving a lasting scar on her emotionally.

"You don't have to worry about me," Mahiru tried to assuage Amane's anger. "Koyuki-san would praise me for being cute at any chance she got."

"Koyuki-san, good job!"

While giving a thumbs-up to Mahiru's stand-in parent in his mind, who he had yet to be introduced to, Amane petted Mahiru's head and embraced her as she recalled moments from deep within her past.

"I was more okay with it than you might think, Amane-kun. It was much tougher for me to hear something like that from my own parents than from a random stranger."

"...Mahiru."

"I don't want to dwell on sad moments from the past, so let's leave it at that. But one thing I can say for sure is that despite suffering hardships in the past, it was because of those experiences that I was able to meet and grow closer to you like this, Amane-kun." Mahiru smiled at him, "I don't want to deny that past, so please don't look at me like that."

Mahiru laughed, calling him a worrywart, and Amane pressed his lips against her forehead and hugged her again. She wriggled around in his embrace before relaxing herself and planting a kiss directly onto his lips.

"...And besides, I'm fine now that I'm loved by you, Amane-kun," Mahiru followed up.

Seeing Mahiru blushing shyly up close, Amane muttered, "You're such a cutie." Now determined to spoil her even more, he lightly gave her yet another kiss and caressed her hair.

Mahiru leaned against Amane and stared at his face with a dreamy look in her eyes. Willingly at Amane's mercy, she welcomed his kind of pampering with open arms.

As he foresaw himself getting lost in the moment and showering Mahiru with even more affection, Amane reminded himself to exercise some restraint and avoid getting carried away. Just as he did so, he remembered something he'd forgotten to tell her.

"I'll let you know now before I forget again, but once I start working, I'll definitely be coming home late on weekdays," he informed. "So feel free to have dinner without me."

I should've told her a little earlier. Amane stopped stroking Mahiru's head for a moment once he told her, but as he spoke, her large eyes blinked in surprise as she was still nestled within his arms.

"We're still deciding on the shifts, but I'll be staying there until they close up, at least on weekdays. I reckon I'll get home around nine o'clock, and I can't let you wait that long for me."

"I don't mind waiting if it's only until then," Mahiru replied steadfastly.

Amane planned to have Mahiru eat before him, since it'd be a bad idea to have her wait for him while she starved. However, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, she responded that she would gladly wait.

Amane, unable to do anything other than look utterly confused, stared at her with an expression that said, What're you talking about?

"No, no. You'll just get hungry," Amane reckoned.

"I would rather fill my heart than my stomach, so I will wait for you, Amane-kun. It wouldn't be any fun if I had to eat alone, so I don't mind the wait at all."

"I'll be really late, you know?"

"Compared to the plenty of other people in clubs and other part-time jobs, it is not that late. …Or do you mean that you don't want me to wait?"

"Of course that's not what I mean," Amane shut down any potential misunderstandings. "I just don't want to keep you waiting."

Amane felt bad for creating a situation where she had to cook dinner and then quietly wait by her lonesome. He figured it would be beneficial for her health if she simply ate before him, but Mahiru showed no sign of relenting.

"It's not like I would be sitting around doing nothing while I wait, you know? If I must wait, there are plenty of things I can do in the meantime: taking a bath, working on assignments, reviewing material for classes, or cleaning up," Mahiru listed off her tasks, trying to prove her point. "I have lots to do, all that will change is the order in which I do them."

She didn't seem particularly bothered and simply smiled. "You really are such a worrywart," she said, poking at his cheeks. "Since you're going to work hard for that something you really want, how could I not support you? Well, I say that, but all I can do is prepare warm meals and a bath for you."

"I'm incredibly grateful, even just for that," Amane asserted. "…But what I look forward to the most is for you to welcome me home when I return. That alone would really make my day."

"If just seeing me will cheer you up, then it's a small price to pay."

"...But you don't have to force yourself, okay?" Amane insisted. "You better take care of yourself first and foremost, alright?"

Knowing Mahiru, she'd prioritize me even if she has something to do, Amane noted, but Mahiru dismissed his suggestion with a laugh.

Although Amane had no intention of constraining Mahiru, she appeared to be against the idea of eating in his absence and showed no signs of bending her will. That was just how much she loved and cared for him. Amane was delighted, of course, but still couldn't shake off the feeling that he wanted her to not push herself too much.

"That goes for you as well, Amane-kun. Please don't force yourself to work too hard, okay?" Mahiru advised. "I don't know what it is that you want, but you are the type who sees something through to the end once you've decided on something, so I am worried for you."

"I won't overdo it. After all, I can't make you worry, Mahiru. That's not what I want to accomplish here," Amane assured.

"I was worried just with you working part-time, but…" Mahiru trailed off. "You're not exactly known for being a social butterfly, Amane-kun."

"That's spot-on, but also a little rude."

While that was true and Amane would admit it to both himself and others, he'd predictably be left wondering how to react if someone pointed it out to him directly.

Upon hearing Amane grumble, "It's not like I have no social skills," in a way that didn't refute what she'd said, Mahiru sighed softly.

"Rather than having no social skills, I find it more appropriate to say that you don't actively involve yourself in social situations more than is necessary. I believe you can do it if you put your mind to it, Amane-kun."

"Well, it's not like I'm trying to get along with a truckload of people—I am satisfied with a small circle of friends," replied Amane.

"...But, you really can do it if you try, can't you? You are able to flip that social switch in your mind, aren't you?" Mahiru sighed, blurting out her words hurriedly.

"Why are you sighing?"

"...I'm just worried what I'd do if you became popular, Amane-kun…"

Amane couldn't help but chuckle a little at his girlfriend's downright adorable worries, and Mahiru looked up at him with a somewhat miffed expression once she heard his laughter.

"You don't need to worry. I'm not at all popular," said Amane, trying to ease her concerns.

"You aren't conscious of what people think of you recently, Amane-kun." "Listen here. Going by its atmosphere and the pricing on its menu, the customers at our café are supposedly dandy old gentlemen and refined old ladies. Popular or unpopular—it makes little to no difference."

Younger clientele would prefer the chain stores, in which they'd be able eat and drink comfortably despite the somewhat boisterous atmosphere, over a placid, privately owned café like the one Amane worked at. And after having seen the prices of items on the menu, he could attest that it was a little out of budget for the average high school or college student casually looking to enjoy a cup of tea.

That being the case, the taste of food and drink in the café was of high quality, and the calm atmosphere made it popular among elderly visitors. That said, to a certain extent, the fact that the owner of the café was a beautiful lady was reason enough for some older men to frequent her establishment.

As mentioned by Souji, the café rarely saw young girls as customers, which Amane was relieved by, given that he'd be able to work in peace. As such, even if he did become somewhat popular, it'd be with someone who was a lot older than he was—a generation or two older, in fact, in which case it would be more like being treated like a favored son or grandson, as opposed to being popular.

"Thus, there's nothing for you to worry about, Mahiru. The owner seemed like a friendly person, too."

"...If so, then fine," she replied a little sulkily.

Mahiru seemed more or less convinced by what he'd said, and Amane patted her head to try and soothe her. Although she still looked a little dissatisfied, she looked happy all the same, ultimately allowing Amane to do as he pleased.