What Bad Intentions Could Sekai Saionji Have?

Spending about half an hour in the park, Haruto decided it was getting late and walked Sekai back to her apartment.

"Um… Miyamizu-kun, why don't you come to my house and sit for a while?"

Just as he was about to leave, Sekai stopped him and invited him to her home.

Haruto glanced at the girl standing behind him, then shook his head slightly.

"It's already late. We should rest early—there's school tomorrow. Good night, Saionji-san."

"…Good night, Miyamizu-kun."

After saying goodbye, Haruto disappeared into the darkness, out of Sekai's sight.

Back in her apartment, Sekai closed the door behind her and saw her mother, Saionji Yoko, sitting in the living room. Fresh out of the shower, she was watching a late-night TV show. When Sekai entered, Yoko turned her head slightly to look at her daughter.

"You're home late. Where's the sanitary pad I asked you to buy?"

"I forgot."

Yoko's lips curled into a faint smile as she observed her daughter in her long dress. She didn't press for details. Instead, she got up from the couch, turned off the TV, and walked toward her bedroom.

"Well, go to bed early."

"I know."

Sekai watched her mother disappear into her room, then turned off the living room lights and entered her room.

As she reached for the light switch, she hesitated. Instead of turning on the light, she walked over to her bed, picked up a binoculars, and climbed onto the mattress, her sock-covered feet stepping lightly as she made her way to the window. She positioned the telescope and peered outside—

Under the glow of a streetlamp, a lone figure walked down the road.

In just a minute, Sekai spotted Haruto in the distance.

She silently watched his back disappear into the night. The emptiness she had felt upon returning home slowly faded, replaced by a quiet sense of fulfillment. One hand lightly grasped the hem of her skirt, hesitating as she lifted it slightly…

Meanwhile, Haruto, on his way home, had the strange sensation that someone was watching him. He glanced around but saw nothing unusual. His gaze briefly flickered toward Sekai's apartment, but it was completely dark.

Frowning slightly, he shook off the feeling and continued walking, his mind still replaying images of Sekai from earlier.

He had a vague idea of her feelings for him. But since he was already dating Setsuna, there was no way he could reciprocate them. So, no matter how many hints Sekai dropped, he acted as if he was completely unaware.

Throughout the evening, she had subtly implied at least five times that she wanted a boyfriend like him. At least ten times, she had closed the distance between them, letting their bodies brush together—only to pull away just as quickly.

"…What a headache."

Because of Sekai and Setsuna's friendship, Haruto had to consider Setsuna's feelings as well. That was why he hadn't outright rejected Sekai's advances, nor had he encouraged them.

He wouldn't deny that he found her attempts somewhat enjoyable, but he remained firm in his stance.

By the time he reached his apartment complex, the lights in the Kiyoura residence across from him were already out. He went inside, took a quick shower, and then went to bed early.

—

The next morning, Haruto woke up early, washed up, put on his school uniform, and stepped outside.

As he left, he noticed two familiar figures standing together, also on their way to school—Setsuna and Sekai Saionji.

"Good morning, Miyamizu-kun!"

Sekai greeted him with a bright smile as soon as she noticed him.

Haruto nodded.

"Good morning, Saionji-san. Morning, Setsuna."

"Good morning, Haruto," Setsuna responded.

The moment Haruto saw them, memories of his conversation with Sekai the night before surfaced in his mind.

Didn't she mention organizing a small girls' gathering today?

"I might be home late today," he told Setsuna. "If you need me, just come over in the evening. I probably won't be around in the afternoon."

Setsuna blinked, slightly puzzled, but nodded nonetheless.

"Okay, got it."

"Well then, I should get going. You two shouldn't be late either."

Waving a small goodbye, Haruto walked off in the direction of his school, leaving the two girls behind.

Sekai watched his retreating figure before turning to Setsuna with a smile.

"Let's go, Setsuna. We should head to school too."

Setsuna nodded.

—

On his way to school, Haruto still wasn't sure what he was going to do in the afternoon. He just didn't want to return home too early, so Setsuna wouldn't worry about skipping the girls' gathering.

When he arrived at the classroom, a familiar voice greeted him as soon as he stepped inside.

"Good morning~"

Turning toward the voice, he saw Ichika Nakano.

He hadn't expected her to be at school so early.

A quick glance around the room revealed that she wasn't the only one—Nino Nakano was also already there.

"Good morning, Nakano-san."

"Eh? Weren't you calling me Ichika last time? Why so formal all of a sudden?"

"…Ah, my mistake. Good morning, Ichika."

"Much better~ You can even call me 'Onee-san' if you want."

Ichika grinned playfully.

Haruto, who was technically older than her, was momentarily at a loss for words. He simply nodded in greeting before heading to his seat.

His gaze briefly swept over Eriri's empty desk—she hadn't arrived yet.

After settling in, Haruto took out his books and glanced out the window at the bright blue sky.

As he absentmindedly stared outside, he began planning how he would spend his afternoon.

Footsteps echoed behind him, followed by the sound of something being placed down. Out of the corner of his eye, Haruto caught sight of Umetarou Nozaki arriving in the classroom.

Recalling Nozaki's profession—he was a manga artist—Haruto's mind suddenly filled with countless ideas...