Chapter 173: So Popular, What Should I Do?

During his entire high school years, Haruto lived in the Bunkyo Ward, in the small neighborhood of Koishikawa, but he didn't know the area very well.

Unless there was something specific to do, he usually stayed in his apartment. Occasionally, his outings consisted of either buying essential daily goods or ingredients from the shopping street, or sitting alone on a bench in Koishikawa's Back Garden, staring at the lush trees and flowers, quietly daydreaming.

Even after meeting Sayuri, their dates were mostly outside Bunkyo Ward, in places like Shinjuku or Shibuya—areas popular among young people—but even then, they rarely ventured there. Despite Sayuri herself not being fond of going out, they were always very cautious.

Thinking back to those times, a trace of wistfulness appeared on Haruto's face. Walking beside him, Shouko, catching a glimpse of his expression, couldn't help but feel concerned but, shy as she was, couldn't bring herself to ask about it.

They arrived at an old-fashioned residential house, and Shouko opened the gate and entered the yard, turning back to look at Haruto still standing at the door.

"Go ahead, I'll wait for you here," she said.

"…"

Shouko had wanted to invite Haruto inside to rest, but after hearing his words, she hesitated for a moment, gave a slight nod, and entered the house, leaving Haruto standing at the door, gazing at the surroundings.

Unlike the area where he lived, which was filled with apartment buildings, the surroundings of the Nishimiya house were filled with traditional detached houses. Everything around them exuded a strong sense of history and a more human touch.

Haruto, preferring places like this with a sense of time and life, compared to the impersonal, modern apartments he was used to, found himself liking the atmosphere here much more.

"It's you again?"

The voice from behind snapped Haruto out of his thoughts. Slowly, he turned to look at the source of the voice, seeing a familiar figure in athletic wear— from their last encounter.

"Nishimiya Yuzuru , right? We meet again," Haruto said, smiling.

"Ha, you came to take my sister out, huh?" Yuzuru asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Actually, I ran into her by chance. I've only been living here for a little over a month, and I'm not familiar with the area. So, I thought I'd invite your sister to join me for a walk around. Would you like to come too?"

"Such a coincidence."

Yuzuru eyed Haruto, scrutinizing his handsome face for a long while, clicking his tongue, then glanced back at the house. Seeing that Shouko wasn't coming out yet, he took a few steps closer to Haruto.

"You—don't tell me you've fallen for my sister? Because she seems easier to approach, you're trying to get close to her?"

Taken aback by the sudden barrage of questions, Haruto fell silent for a moment. After a pause, he couldn't help but let out a dry laugh.

"No, I do have some feelings for your sister, but I already have a girlfriend, so you don't need to worry about me making a move on her."

Upon hearing Haruto's words, Yuzuru's expression darkened, his eyes fixed on Haruto.

"Since you already have a girlfriend, why are you inviting another girl out for a walk? Don't you feel ashamed?"

Haruto's face showed a puzzled expression. He furrowed his brows and looked at Yuzuru for a moment, but after a brief pause, he smiled.

Looking at Haruto's smile, Yuzuru suddenly felt a wave of unease. He instinctively took a step back, putting more distance between them.

"Well, why not just all go together? Your sister probably doesn't go out much, right?"

"…"

"Staying indoors all the time is bad for both your body and mind. It's important to get some fresh air and sunshine. Instead of worrying about your sister, wouldn't it be better to just take a walk around together?"

"Don't think you—"

Click—

Before Yuzuru could finish, they heard the door creak open behind them. Turning around, Shouko appeared in front of them.

Noticing that her sister was standing next to Haruto, Shouko wore a puzzled expression as she stepped out.

"…"

"When you were inside, I happened to run into Yuzuru. Looks like she wants to join us for a walk," Haruto explained.

As he gently patted Yuzuru's head, the girl's face contorted in discomfort, but she couldn't throw a tantrum in front of her sister. She simply clenched her teeth and balled her fists.

Looking at her younger sister, Shouko mistook Yuzuru's trembling body for shyness. Surprised, she smiled and nodded, then walked up to join the two.

"Well then, let's go together."

Yuzuru, who had initially planned to refuse, bit her lip and glanced at her sister. Despite her unease and suspicions about Haruto, she silently followed her sister, unwillingly joining the walk.

As she looked at the familiar scenery surrounding them, then at her sister walking ahead, along with that annoying guy, Yuzuru felt uncertain. She wondered if her sister knew that Haruto already had a girlfriend. She bit her lip tightly as she tried to figure out how to bring it up with her sister.

'Last time, when I asked her, she seemed to like him. But he already has a girlfriend. Knowing my sister's personality, she wouldn't be so calm about it if she knew. She must not know yet.'

But Yuzuru couldn't understand why Haruto had casually mentioned it to her.

It was as if he wasn't trying to hide it at all, but also seemed to be deliberately guiding her to tell her sister. After thinking for a while, Yuzuru's head felt fuzzy.

'When we get home, I'll just tell her.'

No longer wanting to think about it, Yuzuru gave up on trying to figure it out. Since Haruto had said it out loud, she figured it was better to just tell her sister the truth so she wouldn't get more deeply involved without knowing.

In Bunkyo Ward, aside from the old houses that had withstood the test of time, the area also boasted numerous schools and the world-renowned University of Tokyo.

With the Nishimiya sisters by his side, Haruto walked through both familiar and unfamiliar scenery, and before he knew it, they had reached the vicinity of the University of Tokyo. He stopped, slowly coming to a halt.

Shouko, walking beside him, was puzzled and looked at him. Yuzuru, still lost in thought behind them, was also affected by Haruto's sudden stop and looked around.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing. I just felt like there wasn't much to see up ahead. When I first came to Tokyo, I spent some time here, and I've seen the area around the University of Tokyo," Haruto explained.

"You've seen it?" Yuzuru looked towards the direction of the University, but showed little interest. Living nearby, she had never bothered to look around. She wasn't particularly curious about the place.

Standing next to Haruto, Shouko, wearing a long skirt, found herself glancing towards the University of Tokyo. A complex expression filled her eyes as she gazed for a while, before lowering her head in silence.

"Tokyo University seems to have pretty simple admission requirements; as long as your grades meet the standards, it seems like everything else isn't much of an issue."

Noticing Shouko's sudden change in expression, Haruto, who was standing next to her, also noticed her reaction. He looked at the girl, suddenly whispered something, and before Shouko could lift her head and look at him, Haruto turned and began walking back along the path they had come from.

"Let's go. After you get into Tokyo University, you can take a good look at the view there. For now, it's better to focus more on what's around you."

Looking at his graceful figure from behind, Shouko's dim eyes brightened again.

Standing beside her sister, Yuzuru, watched her sister's reaction. She couldn't help but bite her lip, staring at the receding figure, wanting to say something, but seeing her sister's reaction, she turned her head sulkily and said nothing, silently following behind.

She found this guy named Miyamizu Haruto a bit annoying, but she also thought that he made her sister happy, which created a deep inner conflict.

Watching her sister, she bit her lip, her mind filled with hesitation. When Haruto said goodbye to the two and disappeared from their doorstep, Yuzuru finally turned her gaze to her sister.

"He already has a girlfriend."

Standing at the door, Shouko, still looking in the direction where Haruto had left, heard her sister's words. Slowly, she lowered her head and looked at her sister standing beside her.

"Before you left, he personally told me he has a girlfriend."

Blinking her clear eyes, Shouko smiled faintly at her sister Yuzuru, without the surprise and sadness Yuzuru had expected.

"You heard that?"

The girl nodded lightly.

"…Well, even if he has a girlfriend, there will surely be a day they break up. If you really like him, I'll help you."

Upon hearing her sister's words, Shouko's face immediately turned red. She bit her lip, looking at her helpless sister, lowered her head, and turned to enter the house. As for Yuzuru, she watched her sister's shy reaction and sighed helplessly.

"She was easily won over, huh..."

After bidding farewell to the Nishimiya sisters, Haruto walked down the road, and before long, the phone in his pocket vibrated with a buzzing sound.

He took it out and glanced at the screen, seeing it was a call from Mai.

'Is she asking me to pick up some groceries on the way back? No, she probably doesn't know I've gone out...'

Unsure of the purpose of the call, Haruto answered the phone and brought it to his ear. The familiar, gentle voice of Mai came through.

"Haruto."

"Mai, what's up?"

"Do you have time tonight?"

Haruto, walking down the road, slowly stopped, looked around to see no one, then quietly raised his head and gazed at the bright sunlight above, letting out a long sigh.

"Just like usual, I don't have any special plans. What's going on?"

"I have something I need help with. Come keep me company."

"At your place?"

"No, not at home. Outside."

Haruto furrowed his brows. There wasn't much of an issue with him going out, but if Mai wasn't at home, then that meant Setsuna was alone at home.

"Is Setsuna with you?"

"No, but she left earlier. It seems like she's with Sekai. The two of them are together."

Glancing at the side, Mai noticed that Yoko, who had been walking beside her, had narrowed her eyes and was smiling at Mai, like a sly fox who had gotten what she wanted. Mai, on the other hand, looked both helpless and expectant.

Standing by the roadside, Haruto, after hearing Mai's response, felt something was off but couldn't pinpoint what was wrong. He stayed silent for a moment, then gently nodded.

"I understand. Where is it?"

"I'll send you the address."

After hearing Haruto agree, Mai sighed with relief, ended the call, and sent Haruto the location. She then looked at Yoko beside her.

"All set."

"I never knew you were so bold."

"I didn't know you would agree to something like this either. Didn't you completely cut ties with that guy because of this before?"

"That was because he deceived me, so I chose to cut ties. But this time, it's my choice. How could I dislike it?"

Yoko took a small sip of the coffee in front of her, and a faint, graceful smile appeared on her elegant face. Mai couldn't help but glance at her, feeling a complex mix of emotions, thinking back to their past. It seemed like their relationship was fated with some kind of entanglement—first liking the same man, now both being interested in the same guy. She bit her lip, glancing at the woman across from her.

"Just this once."

"I know."

Looking at Mai, Yoko smiled and made an 'OK' gesture with her left hand.

But neither of them knew how much trust there was in that promise.

Their gazes met, but both of them instinctively avoided looking directly at each other and silently lowered their heads to sip their coffee...