Chapter 131: What’s Really Going on in That Little Head of Yours?

Miyamizu-kun"

"Miyamizu-kun, wake up. Miyamizu-kun?"

A gentle voice echoed in his ears, accompanied by a light push on his shoulder. Slowly, Haruto opened his sleepy eyes, turning to look at the person beside him who had disturbed his slumber.

His hazy vision gradually cleared, the blurred figure beside him coming into focus. The classroom surroundings became sharper with each blink. Once he fully recognized who was standing in front of him, a look of surprise appeared on his face.

Glancing around at the rest of the class, he quickly gathered what had happened. He blinked a few more times before finally looking up at the concerned face of Kiryu Yuzuki, who was standing right next to him.

"You're awake?"

"Yeah… Sorry. I must've dozed off during class."

"Come with me to the office for a bit. There's something I'd like to talk to you about."

With that, Kiryu Yuzuki—still in her white shirt and sheer black stockings—stood upright and turned, heading out of the classroom. Haruto hesitated for a second but then stood and followed her silently, feeling the curious gazes of his classmates behind him.

The hallway buzzed with noise from other classes—clearly, it was break time. Haruto followed Yuzuki quietly, the clicking of her heels echoing slightly on the floor. When they arrived at the faculty office, she walked straight to her desk, set down the textbook she'd been carrying, then took a seat. She glanced at Haruto, who stood beside her.

"Have a seat."

She motioned toward the chair next to her. Once Haruto sat down, Yuzuki finally spoke again.

"Is there something bothering you? About life here in Tokyo, I mean?"

Haruto's homeroom teacher was Fukuhara Shin, a middle-aged man who, truthfully, paid little attention to the affairs of his students. With students like the Nakano sisters and Yoshii Akihisa—trouble magnets in their own right—he had long since given up trying to manage the class. His attitude boiled down to "ignore the small stuff, and I can't handle the big stuff."

Oddly enough, it was Kiryu Yuzuki, the young homeroom teacher of the neighboring class, who showed more concern for Haruto's class than their actual teacher. Having just graduated from university herself, she still held on to that passionate spark and took her students' well-being to heart.

Especially after learning about Fukuhara's indifferent teaching style, she began paying even more attention to Class D—Haruto's class. Knowing that Haruto had transferred from Itomori, a rural area far from the city, she couldn't help but feel worried when she saw him sleeping in class.

Her mind had immediately conjured up an image of a struggling student, forced to take on a part-time job after school just to make ends meet—his exhaustion finally catching up to him during class. That was why she didn't wake him immediately. Instead, she waited until the break to gently call him to the office and ask if he needed help.

"Life troubles... maybe a little," Haruto said after a short pause. "But it's nothing I can't handle. Thanks for your concern, Kiryu-sensei."

Haruto had no idea about the narrative playing out in Kiryu's mind. Sitting there in front of this sincere, inexperienced teacher, he felt a little awkward under her concerned gaze. He didn't outright deny that there were difficulties in his life—there were—but he also gave a vague, noncommittal answer.

"As a student, your priority should be to pay attention in class," Kiryu said firmly. "If you ever need help with anything, feel free to come to the office. I'll do what I can."

"...Thank you, Kiryu-sensei. I understand. Is there anything else?"

Looking at the deep concern in her eyes, Haruto felt a strange discomfort. He didn't like being treated like a child—it created a weird mismatch between his life and how others saw him.

"No, that's all. But remember—if anything comes up, you can talk to me."

"Got it. Then… I'll head back to class now."

Avoiding her gentle, searching gaze, Haruto forced a small smile and left the office as quickly as he could. He felt incredibly awkward—almost trapped—and just wanted to get out of there.

Kiryu watched his retreating figure and let out a small sigh.

To her, Haruto's response had confirmed her assumptions—he was simply too proud to admit he needed help. He didn't trust her enough yet to open up.

Pressing her lips together, she made up her mind.

She was going to bridge the gap between herself and her students. She'd become someone they could trust. And she would help Haruto —no matter what it took.

When Haruto returned to the classroom, he stepped through the door and suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He had no idea why. Silently, he walked back to his seat and sat down—only to find Eriri standing next to him.

"What did Kiryu-sensei talk to you about just now?"

"Curious, are you?"

Eriri leaned closer, her expression full of interest. Still groggy from being woken mid-nap, Haruto glanced at her and sighed.

"She asked if I had any issues with life here in Tokyo and offered to help if I did. Probably some misunderstanding."

"So, why exactly were you sleeping during class?"

After hearing Haruto's explanation, Eriri seemed to get the picture. She probably assumed that seeing him nod off during class meant he hadn't gotten much sleep the night before—maybe he'd even been out doing part-time work.

Knowing his financial situation wasn't exactly stable, she could understand why someone like Kiryu Yuzuki might jump to that conclusion.

But what she really wanted to know was something else entirely: if Haruto wasn't working a job last night, then what had he been doing that left him so sleep-deprived he passed out in class?

"Isn't it pretty normal to feel sleepy in spring?" Haruto replied, resting his cheek on his hand. He met Eriri's curious gaze with a calm expression, showing not the slightest hint of shame.

Just as Eriri knew his strengths and flaws, he knew hers. The key to keeping her from digging further was to act like everything was normal. The moment he gave her even a sliver of awkwardness, her curiosity would explode—and once she got going, there'd be no peace.

She didn't believe him. Not for a second. But seeing how composed he was, she found herself at a loss for what to say. After silently staring at him for a few seconds, she let out a soft laugh and returned to her seat.

Haruto watched her sit down, then turned his gaze toward the sky outside the window.

A full class period had passed. The drowsiness he'd felt earlier had mostly worn off. Now he just felt a little drained. As he looked up at the clear blue sky and the drifting clouds, his thoughts turned to the coming summer.

It was April now. By May, the weather would start to heat up. June would be even hotter...

"In July, I'll be going back to Itomori."

The rest of the day went by without incident. Haruto didn't zone out again or fall asleep mid-lesson. The afternoon passed quietly and uneventfully.

After school, Eriri had followed him all the way back to his apartment. She let herself in without hesitation and flopped onto the floor like she belonged there. Haruto gave her a helpless look.

"Only two months until summer break. Are your works ready yet?" he asked.

"Not quite. But there's still time—I can make it."

"Are the themes still those heavy ones?"

"No, I'm thinking of switching it up this time. You might actually be interested in this one."

She glanced at him skeptically, thinking about the drafts she'd already finished. She hadn't had much going on lately, so she'd been stuck at home, sketching nonstop. While not all of her works were polished yet, she'd definitely produced quite a few.

Most of them were still rough, though. It would take time and effort to make them Comiket-ready.

"I might be interested?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Haruto poured some tea and set a cup in front of her, then sat down at his desk. Hearing her say he'd be interested in her new theme gave him a strange sense of foreboding.

"School's been over for a while now," Eriri said casually, glancing toward the door. "Why hasn't your girlfriend shown up yet? Didn't you say she lives nearby?"

She didn't even pretend to be subtle. It was like they were chatting about the weather. Haruto had no idea what to make of it.

She changed so much.

The old Eriri wouldn't have taken something like this so lightly. But maybe the whole incident with Sayuri had hit her harder than he realized. Maybe she'd just grown a little more used to disappointment.

After all, liking someone who's already dating someone else isn't exactly unheard of. It wasn't that strange, really. Maybe he was the one overthinking everything now.

Watching her sitting there in his room, Haruto sighed and turned his attention back to his own work.

They didn't really have anything meaningful to talk about. Instead of wasting time in idle conversation, he figured he might as well use the time to write.

He opened his drawer to grab his manuscript paper—only to be interrupted by the sound of Eriri shifting positions behind him.

She had been sitting formally on her knees. Now, wrapped in black stockings, her legs slid along the floor as she crawled toward him on all fours, like a curious little cat.

Her sudden movement pulled his attention. As she neared his desk, she did something he hadn't expected.

Eriri reached out and tugged his small trash bin toward her. She peeked inside.

It wasn't trash day, and there wasn't much in there to begin with.

"What are you doing?" Haruto asked.

She didn't find what she'd apparently been looking for. Her fingers let go of the bin, and it rocked slightly before settling back into place.

"Nothing. Just checking if there was any... evidence of crime," she said flatly.

"Huh?"

"You may look like a high school student, but your soul is basically that of a fully grown adult. Hitting on a tiny, underdeveloped girlfriend like that—doesn't that technically make you a criminal?"

"..."

Haruto was momentarily stunned. He had no idea where this was even coming from.

"Those dark circles under your eyes—are they really from staying up late? I never realized you had so much stamina. You weren't... at her place, were you?"

Hearing those words come out of Eriri's sweet, youthful face was incredibly jarring. Even though they'd had more lewd or outrageous conversations in the past, nothing had ever felt this awkward or mismatched.

"You've really gotten nosy about other people's business," Haruto muttered. "Shouldn't you be worrying about your Summer Comiket project instead?"

"Oh, I'll just leave all the selling stuff to my mom. I draw, she sells. It's the usual arrangement."

As she said this, Eriri narrowed her eyes, watching him carefully. A mischievous thought surfaced in her mind.

"Are you free around Comiket?" she asked suddenly.

"Huh?"

"You won't be too busy then, right?"

Haruto didn't answer right away. He wasn't sure why she was asking, and that made him uneasy.

"It's still a while away—who knows what'll come up. I'll probably be back in Itomori. Don't tell me you're planning to have me help sell those books."

"Nope. Mom's got that part covered. I just want you to come by and take a look."

"Huh?"

Something about her tone sounded... suspicious. He felt like he was being set up, and whatever mild curiosity he had about Comiket was quickly fading.

Eriri, who had already settled on a theme for her work, suddenly found herself inspired by a new, far more delicious idea.

For this Summer Comiket, she'd draw a mother-daughter story—with the male lead named "Haruto."

Then she'd leave the sales in her mother's hands.

And if Haruto showed up at the booth and bumped into her mom…

Even just imagining the chaos that might unfold filled her with a twisted sense of glee.