Chapter 71 - The Girl on the Rooftop

"Ring, ring, ring..."

"Class dismissed."

Retracting his gaze from the rapidly departing Miyagawa Miho, Ito Yoshito picked up his bento box, also planning to enjoy lunch. 

"Ito-kun."

"Hm? Is there something you need, Haruno-kun?"

Ito Yoshito looked at Haruno Ayato, who had turned around, somewhat puzzled. Normally, by this time, Ayato would have already gone to have lunch with Haruno Kasumi. 

"Well, Ito-kun, thank you very much for the other day!"

Noticing the sparse number of students in the classroom, Haruno Ayato stood up and formally bowed to Ito Yoshito. 

"No need to mention it. We're friends, right?"

Waving his hand, Ito Yoshito helped Ayato back up. 

"Friends..." he murmured silently, and the pain he felt inside for having to relinquish Haruno Kasumi to Ito Yoshito eased a bit. 'Ito-kun might actually be a good match for Kasumi-san... but he is a bit of a flirt.'

"Um... Yoshito-kun, can I call you that?"

"Of course, and I'll call you Ayato-kun then."

"Okay!" Ayato nodded vigorously. It was clear that he cherished the friendship he had with Ito Yoshito, his first friend at school.

"Well, if there's nothing else, I'm going to eat now."

Nodding at Ayato, Ito Yoshito picked up his bento and was about to leave.

"Wait, Yoshito-kun. Can we eat together?"

"Sure."

Nodding, Ito Yoshito sat back down. Since he was going to eat with Haruno Ayato, they might as well do it in the classroom.

"Then let's go," Ayato said, holding his bento box.

"Huh? We're not eating in the classroom?"

"No, we're going to the rooftop! Kasumi-san is waiting for us!"

"You're going with Kasumi?"

Ito Yoshito was taken aback. He hadn't realized that Ayato and Kasumi were on such good terms. Taking a deep breath to suppress his jealousy at being left out, Ayato explained,

"On that Saturday when you helped us, Kasumi-san felt that the thank you was insufficient, so today she specially prepared a bento for you and wants to give it to you in person."

"Oh, I see..." Glancing at the bento on his desk, Ito Yoshito decided to save it for a late-night snack.

"Let's go before Kasumi waits too long."

Walking in the corridor, they noticed that most students had already left the building.

During their conversation, the two made their way to the rooftop. Although Haruno Ayato appeared delicate and graceful, he was still fundamentally a boy, truly interested in topics such as games, food, and girls—common subjects of conversation for boys—so the atmosphere remained devoid of any awkward silence.

However…

Whenever the discussion turned to girls, Ayato always redirected the topic back to Haruno Kasumi.

'Could it be that Ayato has a sister complex?' Ito Yoshito mused, his expression becoming somewhat strange.

... 

As they casually chatted, the two reached the top of the stairs. At this point, the iron gate to the rooftop was already open, and Ito Yoshito wondered where Kasumi had gotten the key from.

Stepping out of the slightly dim corridor, their view immediately widened.

The blue sea and sky stretched out before them, with sparse, lazy white clouds drifting about.

A few gentle breezes brought a hint of coolness, lifting the hair of Haruno Kasumi, who was smiling as she looked at Ito Yoshito and the others.

Bathed in sunlight, she appeared as if covered in a soft radiance, giving her an almost angelic purity. Her smooth, short hair, styled away from her face, revealed dark eyes that sparkled with a gentle light, filled with warmth and kindness.

At that moment, Ito Yoshito felt as if time had stopped, with the girl's smile shimmering in the sunlight, becoming the most beautiful sight on the empty rooftop.

"Yoshito-kun! Ayato!"

Brought back to his senses, Ito Yoshito gazed at Kasumi's gentle smile and responded with a smile of his own.

"Kasumi."

"Kasumi-san."

Ayato was also captivated; though he often saw Kasumi's smile, he had never witnessed such a soft and blissful expression directed at him before.

To put it simply, there was a light in her eyes...

In that instant, Ayato had a thought: perhaps… letting go was the best choice.

Turning his gaze to Ito Yoshito's bright smile, Ayato's eyes began to blur.

'Kasumi-san, I will bless you.'

"Yoshito-kun, Ayato! You're here!"

"Mm."

The two approached the picnic blanket that Kasumi had already laid out, and they arranged their things before seating themselves on the ground.

"Yoshito-kun, here, this is the bento I made. I hope you like it."

Haruno Kasumi, her face slightly flushed, handed the bento to Ito Yoshito, stealing glances at his reaction.

"Thank you, Kasumi."

As he opened the bento, he found it fairly ordinary in presentation—nothing like those legendary heartfelt lunches. But then again, given Kasumi's reserved personality, it made sense that she would hold back in openly expressing her feelings, even if she liked Ito Yoshito.

Even if it was common home cooking, it looked exquisite, and the tempting aroma wafting in the air indicated it would taste good too.

Taking a piece of chicken and tasting it, the rich flavor exploded in his mouth, prompting Ito Yoshito to give Kasumi a thumbs up.

"Kasumi, your cooking really is fantastic!"

Her smile broadened even more, Kasumi bit her lip to suppress her excitement, replying timidly, "I'm glad you like it."

"Kasumi, do you cook often?"

"Yes, my parents and Ayato all enjoy my cooking, so I often take charge of meals at home."

"No wonder the food is so good. Kasumi will definitely make a wonderful wife in the future."

"…Wha-what are you saying..."

A rosy hue swept across Kasumi's round, soft cheeks as she shyly toyed with her fingers, speaking in a quiet voice.

"Actually, I'm quite good at cooking too!"

Ito Yoshito felt a sense of pride in his culinary skills.

"Really! That's amazing, Yoshito-kun!"

While silently enjoying his meal, Ayato gazed at the beautiful scenery in the distance, quietly sitting to the side without interrupting the friendly conversation between the two.

"..." 

"Then Yoshito-kun, why don't we schedule some time for you to come over to my house and share cooking tips?"

Kasumi's delicate fingers rested on her rounded thigh as she nervously grasped the hem of her wrinkled skirt, her eyes sparkling with anticipation while her heart raced.

'I'm so nervous… This is the first time I've invited a boy over; I wonder if Yoshito-kun will agree.'

A gentle breeze wafted through, causing a few patches of vibrant green grass at the rooftop's edge to sway softly.

Noticing the evident nervousness in Kasumi's eyes, Ito Yoshito smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Then I'll definitely appreciate Kasumi and Ayato's help."

"Hehe~"

Delighted with his positive response, Kasumi couldn't help but let out a laughter, swiftly realizing her oversight.

"Huh?"

'Ayato?!' 

Only then did Kasumi notice that she had been so engrossed in her conversation with Ito Yoshito that she had neglected her own brother.

...

Even though Haruno Ayato was continuously smiling and reassuring her that "it was great for Yoshito-kun to be friends with Kasumi-san" and that "there's no need to be concerned,"

Kasumi still felt an overwhelming sense of guilt as she tended to Ayato's bento, apologizing profusely.

Watching the interaction between the Haruno siblings, Ito Yoshito couldn't help but smile gently. 'Both siblings are such wonderful people.'

...

Time flew by like a fleeting shadow, and soon enough, the final bell of the afternoon rang, igniting the youthful energy that had been dormant in the students throughout the day.

"Yoshito-kun, let's go∽"

As soon as class ended, Shinomiya Natsuha quickly approached Ito Yoshito's desk, smiling brightly and urging him on.

"Mm."

Nodding, Ito Yoshito hurriedly gathered his things.

Haruno Ayato turned to look at the pure and charming Shinomiya Natsuha, opening his mouth.

"Yoshito-kun, can you...?"

"You can't! Haruno!" Shinomiya Natsuha squinted, interrupting Ayato's words. She had been anticipating today for a long time and couldn't let Ito Yoshito slip away so easily.

"Haruno, today Yoshito-kun promised to help me with something. You can chat with him later."

Haruno Ayato opened his mouth, but under the intimidating glare of Shinomiya, he felt a shiver run down his spine and promptly shut his mouth.

"I'm sorry, Kasumi-san. I had promised Natsuha today, so let's talk about it tomorrow. We need to get going now. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Yoshito-kun..."

"Let's go, Natsuha."

"Mm!" Shinomiya linked her arm with Ito Yoshito's, responding cheerily, clearly pleased with Ito Yoshito's reply.

...

A gentle breeze blew, swaying every branch and leaf on the school grounds, raising the skirts of many beautiful girls, perhaps offering a glimpse of an even more stunning view.

"Natsuha, let's make a quick stop at the supermarket. Since it's the first time inviting you over, I can't let it be a simple and perfunctory affair."

"Yes! Let's head out now." The two walked leisurely out of the school gate toward the train station, quickly boarding the train to a mall's supermarket.

Once at the supermarket, realizing that their home pantry was running low, and having received his paycheck from yesterday's "secret boyfriend" job—300,000 yen!—Ito Yoshito decided to indulge a bit and fill the refrigerator. Shinomiya gladly accompanied him as they browsed and selected items.

Time flew by as the two became engrossed in their interactions, and when they finally exited the supermarket, the sun was setting toward the horizon.

The evening breeze picked up, clearing away the weariness from their earlier crowded train ride.

Ito Yoshito's small park near his rental apartment was alive with the sound of trees swaying, resembling a symphony of nature.

"Natsuha, do you know? The last photo I sent you was taken here."

"A photo?"

"That outdoor training session one, you know." With both hands full of bags, Ito Yoshito couldn't pull out his phone to show the picture, so he resorted to raising his eyebrows suggestively at Shinomiya.

"The photo..." Shinomiya paused to think, later recalling it was that of Yamada Yuuta's picture, 'Yuuta...' 

Noticing Shinomiya's suddenly low spirits, Ito Yoshito felt an itch of concern. "Natsuha, what's wrong?"

"Nothing..."

After a moment's deliberation, Ito Yoshito leaned closer to Shinomiya's face and gently kissed her.

Caught off guard by Ito Yoshito's sudden action, Shinomiya froze, her empty hands instinctively reaching to touch her flushed cheeks.

"Hey, what was that for~"

Feeling shy, her wine-red eyes sparkled as they looked into Ito Yoshito's, akin to a captivating glass of red wine.

"Feeling better now?"

"Hmph~"

"Since that's the case, here, take this."

"Wah! No, wait!"

"Hehe... Don't, my face is covered in drool."

"Wah..."

...

"Ugh, what an annoying couple."

Listening to the voices of joy and laughter nearby, Ueda Moze scoffed dismissively.

"Ah, if only I could have a girlfriend too; I want to experience a sweet romance."

"Smack!"

Ueda Moze slapped Matsushita Masao on the head. "Masao, why do you lack ambition? What we should enjoy is a passionate high school life, not some lovey-dovey, stinky romance!"

"Well... it seems like we're on the receiving end of bullying from those delinquents lately regardless."

"..."

"If only we could get Ito to be our big brother..."

Leaning back on the park's bench, Ueda Moze sighed, his gaze unfocused as he stared off into the distance.

"Hm?"

Rubbing his eyes, Ueda Moze confirmed he wasn't mistaken and quickly tugged on Matsushita Masao's sleeve.

"Masao, look! It's Ito-aniki!"

Matsushita Masao, following Ueda's finger, spotted Ito Yoshito among a couple who were walking away in the distance, clearly the one they had been watching for several days.

"It really is Ito-aniki!"

Masao perked up momentarily, only to sink back down again.

"But so what? He won't agree to be our big brother."

"..."

"This is the last time!"

Ueda Moze lifted Masao's shoulders, looking dead serious.

"We'll give it one final try! If it doesn't work out, we'll carve our own path! We'll make a name for ourselves in the delinquent underworld!"

"Deal!"

...

As they passed the restrooms near the small park, a sudden tension gripped Ito Yoshito's lower abdomen.

"Natsuha, wait a moment," he halted, gently stopping Shinomiya. Finding a cleaner patch of grass nearby, he set down the bags he was carrying.

"Natsuha, could you please hold the bags for a moment? I need to use the restroom."

"Oh, okay."

Shinomiya also set down her bags, stretching her slightly strained arms.

Yawning and relaxing her slightly stiff frame, the fitted school uniform hugged her form as she arched her back, as if it were trying to break free of its confinement, creating quite the visual.

The form-fitting shirt expertly accentuated her slender, fair waist, reminiscent of a crescent moon's delicate curve.

"Ah..."

Suddenly, a few playful catcalls echoed nearby.