025 - Staying Overnight.

The amber light stretched long across the pavement as Aiko, Chisaki, and Yuki stepped out from the café's quiet warmth. The air had cooled, but a few golden rays clung stubbornly to the rooftops, catching on hair, glinting off glass.

He hadn't taken more than three steps toward the station before he saw them.

Alya. Komi. Yui. And, unexpectedly, Iroha, now tapping away at her phone with theatrical disinterest as she leaned against the gate's post.

Mahiru stood beside Yukino, arms crossed, face unreadable.

Aiko blinked. "You all… waited?"

"Of course," Alya said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Her eyes flicked toward Chisaki, then Yuki. "You disappeared with two council girls. What did you expect us to do?"

Komi gave a small nod. Yui smiled a little too brightly. Iroha stuffed her phone into her pocket and sauntered over. "You're late, Sen‑pai~. If this were a real date, I'd dock points."

Mahiru said nothing, but her gaze lingered on Aiko longer than necessary.

"…I didn't know this was an event," Aiko muttered, scratching the back of his head.

Yukino's voice was quiet, edged with that familiar calm steel. "You should've known better."

They fell into step, seven silhouettes against the slow-blooming dusk, their shadows stretching long behind them. The soft clack of shoes against pavement became the only sound for a few beats, a quiet rhythm, almost peaceful, almost normal.

Aiko found himself in the center of it, flanked on one side by Komi and Iroha, and on the other by Alya and Yuki. Mahiru and Yukino walked just behind them, their silence less hostile than expected, more like wary observation.

And for some reason, Aiko exhaled a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

Not out of exhaustion.

But something closer to ease.

It had been a long time since he felt this... strangely okay.Walking with others. Not being watched, but accompanied. Not stalked by questions or memories, just moving alongside people who, despite everything, chose to stay.

His fingers brushed the fabric of his uniform pants, grounding himself.

Being surrounded by girls used to feel like a setup. A trap. Like he was the wrong character in someone else's story.

But now…

He glanced sideways. Komi's eyes were focused ahead, serene. Iroha caught his glance and grinned, elbowing him lightly without a word. Alya noticed too, and arched an eyebrow—not jealous, just alert. Watching.

Now it just felt... warm.

"I don't know what's weirder," Aiko muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Iroha and Komi to hear, "being surrounded like this… or feeling comfortable for once."

Komi gave the smallest of nods, but said nothing. Iroha tilted her head. "You say that like we're wild animals. I think we're very well-behaved."

Alya, catching the tail end, leaned in with a smirk. "Speak for yourself."

A beat of laughter passed between them. Even Yui giggled quietly behind her sleeve.

Mahiru's gaze flicked toward him, her expression softening, just a little.

And Yukino? Yukino didn't look at him, but her pace matched his exactly.

There was still danger here. Still rivalries, secrets, old heartbreaks blooming in every corner like bruises under skin. But for now, for this one moment, he wasn't alone.

And that was enough.

...

The train arrived with a sigh, the platform lights flickering on as the doors slid open. A rush of warm air spilled out, mixed scents of metal, electricity, and faint cologne from unseen passengers.

They boarded together, the five of them: Aiko, Alya, Komi, Mahiru, and Yukino.

Yui had already waved them off at the stairs, Iroha playfully blowing a kiss before vanishing into the crowd. Chisaki and Yuki had taken the opposite platform, their goodbyes short and light but unreadable beneath the surface.

Now it was just the five of them, the train humming gently beneath their feet as it pulled from the station, streetlights streaking past in soft blurs of orange and white.

Aiko stood near the door again, holding the bar above. Mahiru and Komi flanked him, both quiet but not distant. Alya leaned against the window with folded arms, eyes half-lidded but alert. Yukino stood opposite, one hand delicately gripping a hanging strap, her posture as perfect and distant as ever.

They didn't talk for a while. The silence was... companionable.

Aiko opened his mouth to answer, then paused. Slowly, his gaze drifted to Alya. "Wait. Why are you on this train, Alya?"

Alya blinked, then smiled. That secretive, frustrating smile of hers. "That's a secret."

Mahiru narrowed her eyes slightly but said nothing. Komi glanced at Aiko, as if sensing something deeper behind the question. Yukino simply looked away, her expression unreadable.

The train rocked gently. A few stations passed. Soft lights. Echoed announcements.

At the next stop, Yukino stepped forward.

She didn't say a word, not to Mahiru, not to Alya, not to Aiko. But as she passed him, she paused. Just for a second.

Her shoulder brushed his arm, and her voice, low, just for him, carried the faintest trace of something sharp.

"Don't get too comfortable."

Then she was gone, stepping off the train with her usual grace. The doors closed behind her. No one spoke for a moment.

Mahiru broke the silence, her voice soft. "She's wrong, you know."

Aiko looked over at her.

"You should get comfortable. At least a little."

He didn't answer.

Another station passed. Komi's hand tugged lightly on his sleeve. Her eyes didn't ask permission, only offered quiet presence. Mahiru stayed at his other side. Alya, still by the window, was watching his reflection now, not the city.

Eventually, Aiko exhaled. A breath long-held.

"I used to think this kind of thing wasn't for me. Being in a group. Laughing. Walking home with people who…" he trailed off.

Mahiru glanced at him. "Who cares?"

He nodded once.

The train slowed again. Their stop. Home.

The doors opened.

He stepped off with Mahiru and Komi beside him. Alya followed a second later, lingering just behind.

None of them said much. But for that moment, as they walked under the darkening sky toward the narrow streets that led home, Aiko allowed himself one quiet, dangerous thought:

Maybe this time really could be different.

...

The streetlamps buzzed softly as the four of them stepped off the train and into the crisp night air. The platform behind them faded into the distance as they crossed through the quiet neighborhood, their footsteps falling into an oddly synchronized rhythm.

Komi walked a little ahead, her steps light but deliberate. The others flanked her like a quiet procession, Aiko on one side, Mahiru beside him, Alya just behind, her coat fluttering slightly in the breeze.

They turned down a familiar residential lane lined with low hedges and quiet windows. Komi's apartment building came into view, a modest two-story complex nestled beneath a tall tree whose leaves rustled softly in the wind.

Komi paused at the gate.

"Thank you," she said softly, bowing just a little. Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it carried.

"We wanted to make sure you got home safe," Mahiru replied, voice gentle.

Komi nodded. Her eyes lingered on Aiko for a moment longer than necessary, then flicked toward Alya. Whatever passed between them was unreadable, but neither said anything.

Komi gave one last bow, then disappeared behind the gate.

Aiko walked in the center, Mahiru to his right, quiet, familiar. Her schoolbag hung from one shoulder, and her fingers occasionally brushed the hem of her skirt, like they needed something to hold onto.

Alya drifted just behind them, steps slower, measured.

It had always been like this, somehow, Aiko and Mahiru walking home from school together. Ever since he'd moved in next door. He never asked her to stop. It just happened. As if written into routine. Or fate.

Tonight, though, it was different.

Alya's presence shifted the balance.

"I thought you said you were heading home," Mahiru finally said without turning, her voice light but pointed.

"I am," Alya replied smoothly. "It just so happens my destination is the same as Aiko's."

Mahiru's footsteps slowed half a beat. "Convenient."

"Isn't it?" Alya replied, unfazed.

Aiko let out a sigh. "You two gonna do this the whole way?"

"Do what?" Mahiru asked innocently.

"Talk," Alya supplied. "Passive-aggressively."

That shut them both up for a moment.

Aiko squinted up at the sky. "Honestly, for once, I was kind of enjoying the silence."

Mahiru's lips curved faintly, but she didn't respond. She just walked a little closer, brushing his arm with hers, casual, but not accidental.

Alya noticed.

She stepped forward until she was even with them. "So," she said lightly, "Mahiru. What's your plan for tonight?"

Mahiru tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Alya turned to Aiko, her tone airy. "Because I already told him, I'm sleeping over."

The air went very still.

Mahiru stopped walking.

"…Excuse me?" she asked, her voice soft, but clipped at the edges.

Aiko stiffened. "That's not, she didn't even ask-"

"I did tell you," Alya cut in smoothly, golden eyes glittering. "You just didn't process it fast enough."

Mahiru turned to Aiko slowly. "You're letting her stay over?"

"I'm not-! I didn't-!" Aiko looked between them, nearly tripping over his own words. "She didn't give me a choice!"

Alya tilted her head toward Mahiru, expression all sugar and thorns. "I thought you said we were neighbors, not married."

Mahiru's expression didn't change, but her silence was loud.

The three of them stood under the flickering streetlight, tension thick in the air, the kind that clung to skin and refused to be ignored.

Aiko dragged a hand through his hair. "Look, she's just messing with you. Probably."

"I'm not," Alya said simply.

He gave her a flat look. "You're not helping."

Alya just smiled.

Mahiru finally exhaled through her nose and started walking again. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Mahiru-"

She didn't turn. "Just walk her to your place. She's already made up her mind, hasn't she?"

Alya opened her mouth, then, maybe for the first time that night, said nothing.

Mahiru disappeared up the narrow path that led to her house.

Aiko watched her go, guilt scratching at the back of his throat.

"…You didn't have to say it like that," he muttered.

Alya's smile faded slightly. "I know."

They stood in silence.

Then she looked up at him, her voice quieter now. "Still… I meant it. I'm staying tonight."

Aiko's heart thudded. "Why?"

Alya didn't answer at first. Then:

"Because you're remembering things again. I can feel it. And I don't trust what happens when you're alone."

She looked up at him, eyes gold and steady in the darkness.

"Not after last time."

Aiko stared at her, words caught in his throat.

And slowly, he nodded.

"…Alright."

The streetlight above them flickered again, casting wavering shadows on the pavement as Aiko and Alya stood quietly, the night settling around them like a thick curtain.

From behind, soft footsteps approached.

Mahiru's voice broke the silence, calm but firm.

"I'm coming with you."

Aiko blinked, turning just in time to see her step forward, eyes fixed on Alya.

"To check on her," Mahiru added, her gaze sharp but unreadable.

Alya's golden eyes flickered briefly, a slow smirk tugging at her lips. "You're quite possessive, aren't you~?"

Mahiru didn't respond, just glanced at Aiko, as if asking silently for permission.

Aiko swallowed hard, caught in the gravity of it all.

"…Alright," he said quietly.

The three of them moved together again, the unspoken tension weaving tightly between them.

Alya glanced sideways at Mahiru, voice low and teasing, "Looks like your neighbor wants to keep an eye on me."

Mahiru's expression didn't change, but her step didn't falter.

Aiko felt the weight of their gazes, a mixture of challenge, protection, and something softer, something complicated.

As they reached the threshold of Aiko's apartment building, Alya turned to him, voice softer.

"Thank you for letting me stay. For… everything."

He nodded, words caught in his throat.

Mahiru lingered a moment at the doorway, then said, "I'm staying too."

Aiko's eyes widened.

"For Alya," she said simply.

He exhaled slowly, realizing tonight wouldn't be as simple as he thought.

But maybe that was okay. For once, he didn't mind. Not after everything else happened to him.

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