Chapter 136. When Two Joys Overlap, It Should Have Been...

Walking out of the Astronomy Club room, Haruto stood tall and steady.

So what if she's a petite, white-haired legal loli?

At the end of the day, it just meant adding one more name to his ever-growing time management schedule.

Turning back for a glance at the clubroom behind him, it wasn't long before Koharu followed him out as well. Compared to earlier though, she was now missing a rather iconic piece of her look — the soft, white socks that usually wrapped around her slender legs.

Beneath her short skirt, her bare, fair legs stood out — clean, delicate, and undeniably cute.

"You okay?" Haruto asked casually.

"I'm fine. Once I leave the school gates, the driver will be waiting to pick me up. No need to worry."

"Mm."

Looking at the girl standing in front of him, Haruto couldn't help but feel a subtle sense of dissonance the moment he remembered — this petite, doll-like girl was technically his senpai.

"Then I'll walk you to the school gate."

"Aren't you worried someone might see us?" Koharu tilted her head slightly, eyes glancing up at him with a teasing glint.

Koharu had already made up her mind — she'd walk to the school gate alone, then quietly take a car home by herself. But when she heard that Haruto wanted to walk her to the gate, she couldn't hide the surprise on her face.

Seeing that adorable look of surprise from her, Haruto chuckled softly.

"At this point, there's really nothing left for me to care about. Rumors about me have already been spreading around school anyway. A few more won't make a difference. But what about you? Do you mind?"

"I don't care how other people look at me. Then I'll trouble you, Haruto."

Inside this school, aside from Haruto, there was no one else Koharu cared about. Even if people saw the two of them walking together and rumors started spreading, it didn't matter to her in the slightest. She simply didn't care about the opinions of ordinary people.

Seeing this calm and indifferent girl, Haruto was a little surprised too. Normally, students their age cared a lot about their image at school — yet for some reason, all the girls he knew seemed oddly unconcerned about those things.

"Alright, let's go."

Since Koharu herself didn't care, Haruto naturally had no reason to refuse. The two quietly walked side by side toward the school gate.

In the now-empty lab, Fuyuba Rio packed away her experimental equipment after finishing her tests. Even though she had been trying hard to focus on her experiments, now that things had quieted down, an undeniable loneliness crept in.

The more she threw herself into other things, the heavier that loneliness felt once she stopped. Especially now... when there was someone in her heart she cared about.

After tidying up the lab, Rio figured there was no reason to stay at school any longer. She planned to head home — maybe grab a few fashion magazines along the way and learn how a girl should dress to catch a boy's attention.

For the first time, there was a boy she cared about. For the first time, she had someone she could talk to.

Those two overlapping joys brought color to her otherwise dull life.

And for the first time, she realized — this is what it feels like when your heart is filled with thoughts of just one person.

"If only he were here with me too..."

Looking at the empty lab, Rio couldn't help but picture his figure beside her, as if he were really standing there. But after a brief daze, she shook herself awake and quietly closed the lab door behind her.

"On the way back... I should pick up some ingredients too. Maybe I can try cooking something. If I make lunch with my own hands for tomorrow... I wonder if Haruto would be interested? Would he eat food I made myself? He probably would... but if he doesn't…"

Her heart was tangled with expectation and unease, but she didn't dislike this feeling at all.

"See you tomorrow."

"Mm, see you tomorrow."

As Rio slowly approached the school gate, lost in thought, she heard a familiar voice. She lifted her head and saw Haruto standing at the gate — saying goodbye to a petite girl she didn't recognize.

Rio didn't know who that girl was, but from her uniform, it was clear she was also a high school student — maybe a bit smaller in stature, but unmistakably from the same school.

Watching Haruto part ways with the unfamiliar girl, Rio unconsciously stopped walking, quietly standing there.

She watched the girl get into a sleek, expensive-looking car and drive away. Then Rio stood still, curious to see if Haruto would notice her presence without her saying anything.

After seeing Koharu off, Haruto looked up at the sky, the sun starting to dip westward. Guess it was about time to head home too...

But out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of white in an almost blind spot.

Turning slowly, Haruto was a little surprised to see Futaba standing there behind him.

"Futaba? Heading home too?"

"Yeah, just about to."

Futaba didn't ask about the girl just now. From what she knew, that girl wasn't someone from the usual rumors surrounding Haruto.

Though she was a little curious, she didn't want to risk sounding intrusive by directly asking Haruto about it.

She was afraid he might misunderstand — and afraid of what might happen if he did.

Her thoughts spun in circles for a brief moment, and her mood dipped just a little lower...

"I see... I was just about to head home too. Well, see you tomorrow then."

Since they lived in different directions, even if they were both going home, they wouldn't be walking the same way. Futaba nodded softly as she watched Haruto turn and walk away.

She stood there quietly, watching his figure disappear. Pressing her lips together, she lowered her head, clenched her fists lightly — then slowly loosened them.

Without saying another word, she turned in the opposite direction and gradually disappeared from the school gate herself.

After making an agreement with Koharu — she could follow him, and he wouldn't interfere much, but she was absolutely forbidden from stuffing his shoe locker or desk with photos or stockings anymore.

She could only follow him in public places, never in private spaces, and she wasn't allowed to secretly take photos in those situations either.

After hesitating a bit, Koharu agreed.

She had never taken photos of Haruto in his apartment or anyone else's house anyway. And she never took pictures of anyone besides Haruto. So, with his conditions, it really didn't affect her much.

Being allowed to follow him openly was already a pleasant surprise. The rest didn't matter all that much.

_ _ _ _

Friday, the 25th. Overcast skies.

Walking along the road, Haruto looked up at the gloomy sky. It looked like it could start raining at any moment. With a folded umbrella in hand, he trudged toward school, his mood as sluggish as the weather.

Even on regular days, he wasn't exactly brimming with energy, but gloomy weather like this just completely drained him.

By the time he got to the classroom and sat down, the sound of raindrops tapping against the window reached his ears. The rain was getting heavier, gradually blurring the view outside.

The sound of students exclaiming in the hallways echoed from the outside.

Watching the scene unfold, Haruto's lazy mood shifted into pure sleepiness. He slumped at his desk, feeling aimless.

Ah... I don't feel like doing anything. I'll just ride this out until the final bell and head home early to sleep.

Closing his eyes, he sat in the classroom that wasn't exactly empty, but somehow still felt a little chilly. His usual clothes were fine, but now that it was pouring outside and the temperature had dropped, especially sitting by the window — it felt a little cold.

"Ahh... My clothes still got a little wet, even though I ran as fast as I could."

"That's what you get for not bringing an umbrella, idiot."

"Did you bring one, Yuji?"

"I didn't bring an umbrella either, but I didn't get caught in the rain."

"Unfair! Why is it that we both forgot our umbrellas, yet you managed to stay dry?! Damn it!"

"You really don't even try to hide your awful personality, huh."

"Whatever! It doesn't matter anyway. On the way home, Yuuji won't have an umbrella either, so he'll end up just like me, getting soaked in the rain. Just thinking about that makes me feel so much better."

"You caught a cold, didn't you? Actually, no—fools don't catch colds, do they? Must be nice."

Turning his head slightly, Haruto looked over at Yoshii Akihisa and Sakamoto Yuuji, who had both entered the classroom. The two of them were as loud and energetic as ever. Not even the gloomy weather could put a dent in their boundless energy.

The rest of the class had long since gotten used to their antics. No one paid them much attention, each person going about their own business.

Closing his eyes, Haruto sat quietly at his desk, waiting for class to start...

Tap, tap.

A hand lightly knocked on his desk.

Looking up, Haruto found himself face-to-face with a twin-tailed blonde girl. Standing right beside him, Eriri gazed down at him.

Having barely survived through the morning classes, Haruto glanced out the window at the overcast sky before looking back at Eriri.

"Got time during lunch?"

"I've already made plans. So, no."

It had become routine by now — Haruto always had lunch with Futaba Rio. Looking up at the girl standing before him, Haruto turned her down without hesitation.

"Again? Let me guess — with that girl, Futaba Rio?"

"You know about her?"

Hearing Eriri mention Rio's name, Haruto raised an eyebrow in surprise. He hadn't expected her to know even that much.

"The genius girl of this school? It wasn't hard to find out. Honestly, it'd be weirder if someone didn't know about her around here."

Pulling his lunchbox from his desk drawer, Haruto stood up from his seat.

"Since you know, then move aside. You're in my way."

Meeting Eriri's eyes directly, Haruto's calm gaze caused her to frown slightly. After a moment of silence, she reluctantly stepped aside, allowing him to pass.

As she watched him leave the classroom, Eriri quietly returned to her own seat — only to stand up and leave the classroom herself soon after.

Meanwhile, standing near the stairwell, a girl in an orange jacket caught sight of Eriri walking by. Watching the blonde twin-tailed girl head in Haruto's direction, the girl silently took out her phone, snapped a photo, and sent an email before turning to head off toward her clubroom.

Bzzz.

Haruto's phone vibrated quietly in his pocket as he walked down the hallway. Casually pulling it out, he glanced at the screen.

Sender: Koharu Otori.

It was the first email he'd received from her since they exchanged addresses.

Opening the message, he noticed an attached photo. Tapping on it without much thought, he saw the picture Koharu had just taken.

"..."

How did Koharu run into Eriri? Judging by the photo, it looked like Eriri was heading in his direction.

Haruto thought about it for a moment but didn't dwell on it too much. Slipping his phone back into his pocket, he continued toward the lab where Futaba Rio was waiting.

As usual, the only person inside the lab was Rio herself.

"Every time I rush over here right after class, you're already here before me," he said with a small smile. "It's like no matter how fast I come, you're always one step ahead."

Setting his lunch down casually, Haruto responded to the girl in her lab coat — the one who always waited here for him during lunch.

Even though it had become a long-standing habit for them to eat together like this, Rio couldn't help but worry deep down. Would this peaceful routine one day suddenly come to an end?

"It's because I'm basically here all the time," Futaba replied. "I've already studied everything the teachers are covering right now. Sitting in class is just a waste of time for me."

She was waiting for him.

Just so that when Haruto arrived, she would be there to greet him — not an empty lab. That's why Rio always stayed here during the last period before lunch.

"A special privilege of being a genius, huh?"

"In exchange, I have to represent the school in all sorts of competitions. Since it's still the beginning of the school year, things are calm for now... but once May rolls around, it'll start getting busy."

Taking out the lunch she had carefully made herself, Rio thought ahead to the packed schedule awaiting her in May. From then on, she would be spending less and less time in school, instead attending physics competitions outside.

Especially during summer vacation — there would even be international events. Realistically, she probably wouldn't get to see Haruto much during the break.

"Competitions, huh?"

"Yeah."

Haruto didn't know much about that world. He was just an ordinary guy, so rather than getting into unfamiliar territory, he quickly shifted the topic.

"Before May comes… during the holidays, would you—"

"Haruto! You're here!"

Just as he was about to ask Rio something about her plans during the holidays, a familiar voice rang out from the doorway.

Turning in unison, both Haruto and Rio looked toward the entrance of the lab.

Standing there with a bright, radiant smile, Eriri clutched her lunch in her hands, looking genuinely overjoyed to have found him. The way she beamed with happiness — even showing off her cute little fang when she smiled — made her look particularly lively.

Watching the unexpected intruder, Rio narrowed her eyes slightly, focusing her gaze on this bubbly, tiger-toothed blonde girl...