Okamura's eyes fluttered shut for a moment. When he opened them again, he blinked in surprise. The room had been changed completely—the clutter that had been around was now neatly arranged, as if the mess had never existed at all.
His gaze shifted to Koyori, who stood at the foot of his bed, carefully folding the last bedspread with quiet precision. Seizing a rare moment of vulnerability, he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. She froze, of course, her hands pausing mid-fold.
Her voice came out barely above a whisper. "...What was that for?"
"For always being there when I need it," he murmured. "Truth be told, I'm not sure how I'd manage if you weren't."
The faint blush that coloured her cheeks made her happiness unmistakable. But just as quickly, she turned to him, her expression shifting into something more serious.
"If you keep being like this," she said, "I'm not sure how much longer I can keep picking up your slack."
Okamura let out a tired chuckle, shaking his head. "That's what you always say, and guess wh—"
"I'm serious, Kintarō!" she cut in, her voice sharper. "You can't keep driving yourself into the ground for others and expect me to pick up after you every time."
"...And that's why I love you so much," he said, his voice softer. "I will try to change... I promise."
"You better."
Okamura cast her a sympathetic glance before heading toward the door. "You can wait downstairs if you want, or stay here—be my guest. I'm gonna take a quick shower."
Koyori stood still for a moment, the quiet hum of the house filling the space he'd left behind. She exhaled softly, smoothing out the now-folded blanket before sitting at the edge of his bed, her fingers brushing lightly over the fabric where he had just been.
For a while, she simply sat there, lost in thought.
The truth was, she wanted to always be there for him. But lately—ever since the beginning of his final year of junior high—it felt like she was the only one keeping him from completely falling apart.
Her fingers curled into the blanket. If he breaks... then what happens to me?
When Okamura returned, a towel draped over his head, his hair damp and tousled, he looked fresher but not entirely awake.
"You didn't leave," he noted, sounding more surprised than anything.
"Someone has to make sure you don't collapse halfway down the stairs," Koyori replied, trying to mask her worry behind a slight smile.
He chuckled faintly and walked past her, grabbing a clean pair of socks from the drawer. "I know I'm useless, but I'm not that useless."
She didn't smile this time. Instead, her voice came out softer than before.
"I... I know you're tired, but... do you think we could spend some time together today?"
Their eyes met, and for a moment, neither said a word.
"Oh?" he said, his tone lightening. "So that's why you are all dressed up and looking so gorgeous today. You were planning on taking me out, huh?"
Koyori immediately turned away, her cheeks flushing a deep shade of pink. "...And if I said I didn't, would you believe me?"
Okamura chuckled. "How ironic," he mused, watching her austere demeanour soften into something more delicate.
"Don't you think you've done enough for me already?" he added, a slight smile tugging at his lips. Then, he continued.
"Fine, I'll take you up on your offer—but just so we are clear, I'm the one taking you out. Got it?"
While getting dressed, Okamura's thoughts drifted toward the promise of spring break—quiet days, just him and Koyori—when the soft glow of his phone caught his attention.
A new message from the president of Bluebelle—Hoshimiya Kanade.
"Good morning, Okamura-kun. I know this might be sudden, but I was thinking it might be nice for the Bluebelle members to meet at the mall today to celebrate all we've accomplished this term. Consider it a small reward for everyone's hard work ;)"
He let out a soft sigh, rubbing his temple.
And here I was, hoping for some peace with Koyori.
With a resigned sigh, he quickly finished getting dressed and made his way downstairs. As he entered the living room, he was greeted by the warm aroma of freshly prepared food. Among them, two scents stood out immediately—two of his favourites.
"Good morning, Koyori," he said playfully, then turning to his mother, Hiramatsu Mariya, with a grin. "And good morning to the most beautiful mother in the world."
Leaning in, he planted a quick kiss on her cheek.
Mariya chuckled. "Flattery gets you nowhere in life."
Okamura didn't waste any time. He plopped down at the table, chopsticks in hand, already reaching for the tamagoyaki and takoyaki at the far end. The familiar taste of dashi stock and soy sauce melted on his tongue with the first bite.
"Did you make this, Mom?" he asked, savouring each bite.
Mariya shook her head, nodding toward Koyori. "Actually, Koyori-san helped with most of it."
Blinking in surprise, he turned to Koyori, who had suddenly become very interested in her teacup.
"You cooked for me? I must be in heaven."
Koyori hid her blush behind the rim of her teacup.
Mariya watched the two with a knowing smile, sipping her tea in silence. But just as quickly, that smile shifted—her gaze turning more serious.
"All I can say is—" she paused, lifting her teacup away from her lips, "you better take good care of Koyori-san, or so help me, I'll break both your legs and shove 'em up your ass. Got that?"
Okamura nearly choked on his food, coughing violently as he shot her a look of pure disbelief.
"Mom, could you not? Koyori is literally sitting right there!" he sputtered between coughs.
Mariya's stern expression melted instantly into a playful grin, as if the threat had never happened.
"I've gotta be comfortable around my future daughter-in-law, you know?" she said nonchalantly. "Besides, Koyori has always been around us. She is used to me by now—hopefully."
Okamura glanced across the table, expecting at least some kind of reaction from Koyori. But she continued eating as if nothing had happened.
He sighed and shook his head, pulling out his phone and tilting the screen toward Koyori to show her the message from Kanade. She didn't say a word—but the slight tension in her shoulders gave him all the answer he needed.
"No phones at the table, Kintarō. You know this!" Mariya scolded, fixing him with a stern glare.
His hand instinctively pulled back, but before he could say anything, Koyori reached out and returned the phone to him with a quiet motion. She gave a subtle nod—her way of wordlessly acknowledging the change in their plans.
「普通の生活.それだけ?」