156 - Signs of Change (Patreon)

RAW

The day after making brownies at the Tōjō household.

Since it was Sunday, Haruto had returned home and was cleaning his house.

"Leaving the house unattended really makes the dust pile up."

Determined to finish cleaning his room before lunch, Haruto busily moved the vacuum cleaner.

Then, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

"A call?"

He stopped the vacuum cleaner and picked up his phone. The screen displayed the name "Kazu-senpai."

"Kazu-senpai? I wonder what this is about."

Puzzled, Haruto answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Yo, good morning."

"Good morning. What's up?"

"Well, there's something I thought I should tell you properly. Is now a good time?"

"Yeah, it's fine."

A sudden call from Ishikura.

Haruto had no idea what this "something" was that Ishikura wanted to tell him, tilting his head in confusion.

"So, uh… yesterday. I actually confessed to Shizuku."

"…What!?"

The shocking revelation was so unexpected that it took Haruto a moment to process. His delayed reaction came out as a startled shout.

"Wait, huh!? Kazu-senpai!? To Shizuku!?"

"Yeah."

"S-So, um… what did Shizuku say?"

For Haruto, Ishikura and Shizuku were both childhood friends from the same dojo.

They were rivals, family, and irreplaceable companions.

Now, that relationship might change significantly.

Haruto felt his heartbeat quicken as he anxiously asked.

Through the phone, Ishikura replied with a chuckle.

"She tore me to shreds. Called me the enemy of women, the worst kind of guy… oh, and a pervert too."

"Wait… so, does that mean she rejected you?"

"Who knows?"

Haruto hesitantly asked, but Ishikura responded lightly.

"You know how Shizuku always jokes around and never speaks her true feelings, right?"

"Yeah, that’s true."

"So, I figured as long as I keep trying, there’s still a chance."

Haruto wanted to support Ishikura’s feelings.

Both Ishikura and Shizuku were dear friends to him.

It would be a lie to say he felt no hesitation or sadness about their relationship changing.

But if they could be happy together, that was something Haruto would truly celebrate.

"I haven’t been completely rejected yet. Now that I’ve confessed, I’ll keep pushing forward until I get a clear answer."

"Kazu-senpai… If there’s anything I can do to help, just say the word. I’ll do anything."

"Thanks, that means a lot. To be honest… I don’t have much time left."

"Huh? What do you mean? Are you leaving town?"

"Yeah… I’m graduating next year, after all."

Hearing those words, Haruto felt a deep, indescribable sadness.

Ishikura, who was a year older than him, had always been like an older brother he could rely on.

Logically, he understood that Ishikura leaving for college was inevitable.

But emotionally, he couldn’t come to terms with it.

Haruto suppressed the urge to childishly beg him to stay and instead, deliberately spoke in a cheerful tone.

"In that case, you really need to go all out for Shizuku!"

"Exactly."

"Do you have a plan?"

"Hmm, nothing concrete yet. But with Shizuku, things won’t be easy…"

"Yeah, it’s Shizuku, after all…"

Shizuku was a master at keeping a straight face while making endless jokes—a true trickster.

Winning her over would be no easy feat.

"Well, I’m not really into sneaky tactics. I’ll just keep being honest with her."

"That’s just like you, Kazu-senpai."

"I suck at those romantic mind games."

Ishikura laughed over the phone.

After chatting a bit more, Haruto ended the call.

"Kazu-senpai and Shizuku… I hope things go well for them."

Wishing from the bottom of his heart for their relationship to take a positive turn, Haruto resumed his cleaning.

---

Monday morning dawned clear and bright, as if making up for the gloomy weekend weather.

While heading to school, Haruto found himself lost in thought, replaying his conversation with Ishikura.

Noticing his distraction, Ayaka, walking beside him, peered at him curiously.

"Haruto? Is something wrong?"

As she spoke, she gently squeezed his hand.

"Hm? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about something."

"Thinking?"

Ayaka tilted her head cutely, prompting Haruto to smile softly.

"Yeah. I might end up asking for your advice soon. When that time comes, I’ll be counting on you."

"…Okay, I got it."

Understanding that he wasn’t ready to talk about it yet, Ayaka didn’t press further.

Instead, she nodded firmly and said, "When you need advice, I’ll do my best to help!"

Ishikura had told Haruto about his confession, likely considering how their trio’s dynamic might change.

Regardless of whether Ishikura succeeded or not, their relationship as three close friends would no longer be the same.

If that happened, it would be confusing for Haruto to be left in the dark.

That was probably why Ishikura had called him in advance.

Because of that, Haruto couldn't share this with anyone yet.

Besides, Ayaka had become close with Shizuku.

Even if Haruto kept quiet, there was a chance Shizuku might confide in Ayaka instead.

While he pondered this, a familiar voice called out from behind.

"Yo!"

"Oh, good morning, Akagi-kun."

"Morning, Tōjō-san. Haru, what’s up?"

"Morning. You look as sleepy as ever."

Tomoya, radiating his usual laid-back energy, joined them and immediately started talking about the brownies.

"I gave the brownies we made to Haruka, and she loved them."

"Well, she does love chocolate."

"Exactly. Now she won’t stop bugging me to make more. I’m thinking of becoming Kazu-senpai’s apprentice."

"If you say that, Kazu-senpai will definitely be happy."

Tomoya laughed, saying, "Maybe it’s time to become a pâtissier!"

Hearing that, Ayaka's eyes sparkled.

"We’re making shortcake next, right?"

Seeing her excitement, Haruto chuckled.

"Yeah, we’ll do it when everyone’s free."

"Yay!"

Her face lit up brighter than the morning sun.

As they walked, Ayaka spotted a familiar face ahead.

"Good morning, Shizuku-chan!"

"…! O-Oh, good morning, Aya-senpai."

Startled by Ayaka’s cheerful greeting, Shizuku flinched before turning around slowly.

"Good morning, Haru-senpai, Tomo-senpai."

She greeted them with her usual blank expression.

"Morning."

"Yo."

Haruto, however, couldn't help but observe Shizuku closely.

Was it his imagination, or did she seem different today?

Before he could figure it out, Shizuku abruptly turned on her heel.

"It’s a nice day. Well then, see you later."

Ayaka blinked in confusion.

"Shizuku-chan?"

Stopping in her tracks, Shizuku turned back.

"What is it?"

"I thought we were walking to school together?"

Shizuku remained expressionless but suddenly smirked.

"Oh? So, Aya-senpai wants to walk lovey-dovey with me?"

"Huh? Lovey-dovey?"

"Even though you have Haru-senpai? How scandalous."

"Wait, what!? Scandalous!?"

"You need to be punished."

"Punished!?"

Shizuku raised her hands dramatically.

"Behold! The power of God Hand Shizuku!"

"W-Wait! What are you doing!?"

A second later, Ayaka was caught in a merciless tickling attack.

Under the clear morning sky, her laughter echoed, drawing the attention of other students who stopped and stared in disbelief.

It wasn't until Haruto stepped in that the madness finally ended.