Chapter 296 - 296: Little Sayuri Has Learned Bad Things

The four of them were chatting animatedly when the sound of a key turning came from the entryway.

The door opened, and Hiratsuka Shizuka stepped in first, with Yukinoshita Shizuku following behind her.

"We're home!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka's voice rang out from the entryway, and then her nose twitched as she caught the lingering smell of food in the air.

"Smells amazing—Kagami, did you cook?"

She changed into her slippers and walked into the living room, freezing for a moment when she spotted the four people seated around the dining table.

"Oh, we have guests?"

"Evening, Shizu, Yukinoshita."

Kosaka Akane smiled and waved at the two of them.

Yukinoshita Shizuku walked in behind Hiratsuka Shizuka, her gaze sweeping across the living room before finally settling on Tsushima Kagami.

"Lively in here tonight."

Her tone was flat, giving nothing away.

"Senpai Akane and Senpai Sonoko came over, and it happened to be dinnertime."

Tsushima Kagami explained.

"Have you two eaten?"

"We grabbed something quick near the driving school."

Hiratsuka Shizuka flopped down onto the sofa without ceremony, scooping up Yukino as the cat wandered over and giving her a couple of rubs.

"But smelling this, I feel like I could still eat more."

"There's none left."

Tsushima Kagami answered flatly.

"We finished it all."

Hiratsuka Shizuka's hand paused, and she looked up at Tsushima Kagami with disbelief.

"You didn't save me even a bite?"

"You never said you'd be eating here."

Tsushima Kagami looked utterly innocent.

"I texted you!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka freed one hand to pull out her phone, tapped the screen a few times, and held it up in front of Tsushima Kagami.

Tsushima Kagami looked closely.

"You just asked what's for dinner and said you'd bring something back."

"You never said to save you any."

"Besides, where's the food you were supposed to bring me?"

Tsushima Kagami said, looking at Hiratsuka Shizuka's empty hands.

Hiratsuka Shizuka stared at him for a moment, then let out a heavy sigh.

She buried her face in Yukino's soft white fur and let out a muffled wail.

"I'm so pathetic—I slaved through my driving test and came home to not even a hot meal…"

"Um…"

Sayuri suddenly raised her hand.

"Actually, Kagami made a second batch afterward—what we ate was the second round."

"I made the first batch. It's packed up in the fridge."

"Just take it out and heat it up."

"If Shizu doesn't mind…"

Originally she'd decided to just toss it out, but then it seemed like a waste, so she thought about feeding it to stray cats or dogs instead—

It shouldn't be so bad that anyone would complain—compared to food scavenged from a trash heap, this had to be better than garbage, right?

"...?"

"Really?"

Hiratsuka Shizuka instantly sat up straight on the sofa, her expression flipping like a page turning.

Just as Hiratsuka Shizuka moved to check the fridge, Yukinoshita Shizuku, having set her things down, came over beside her.

She put a hand on her to stop her.

She smiled at Sayuri.

"No need. Neither of us is very hungry."

"I see."

Sayuri watched as Yukinoshita Shizuku saw through her little scheme.

She nodded, a little deflated.

Then Hiratsuka Shizuka, seeing Sayuri's expression,

immediately understood: Sayuri's cooking must be terrible, and she'd been trying to trick her!

"Ahaha, I was just kidding. I guess I am a bit full after all."

Her tone was so earnest it was almost overdone.

The living room fell silent for a beat.

Kosaka Akane couldn't hold back a laugh, and Machida Sonoko pushed up her glasses, the corners of her mouth twitching upward despite herself.

Sayuri's face turned bright red.

"What kind of reaction is that! Sure, my cooking wasn't great, but it wasn't that bad!"

"No, no."

Tsushima Kagami stepped in to smooth things over.

"It was Sayuri's first time cooking on her own. Getting it to that level is already pretty good—practice makes perfect."

His tone was so gentle and sincere that no one could tell if he meant it or was just being kind.

Hearing Sayuri admit outright that her food had been bad,

Hiratsuka Shizuka figured the others had already suffered through it, and Sayuri had meant for her and Yukinoshita Shizuku to suffer too.

So she pointed at Sayuri, feigning anger.

"Sayuri, when did you turn evil!"

"You knew it tasted bad and still tried to get me!"

Sayuri laughed awkwardly.

"Ahh, well, I figured there might be someone out there with unusual taste?"

"Oh, so you're calling me a freak, huh!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka immediately chased after Sayuri.

Sayuri immediately ducked behind Tsushima Kagami.

"Don't blame me first—I only learned this bad habit from Kagami!"

Sayuri glanced at Tsushima Kagami, stuck out her tongue, and dumped all the blame on him.

After all, he'd been the first to taste it and know it was bad, but hadn't warned anyone—just sat there smugly watching everyone else nearly choke on it.

"All right, that's enough."

"You just got back from the driving school—aren't you tired?"

Yukinoshita Shizuku had already taken the chilled iced tea from the fridge, poured it out, and brought it over to everyone.

"Thanks."

"I was just thirsty."

Hiratsuka Shizuka grabbed her cup and gulped it down.

Kosaka Akane and Machida Sonoko picked up their own glasses and sipped slowly.

Caught up in their earlier discussion with Tsushima Kagami and Sayuri, they'd both forgotten to drink anything.

Now that they thought about it, their throats really were parched.

"Want a late-night snack?"

Yukinoshita Shizuku smiled and returned to the kitchen counter to finish cleaning up what Tsushima Kagami hadn't washed.

"No need, we ate plenty earlier."

Sayuri thought back to the dish Tsushima Kagami had made earlier.

"I really didn't expect Kagami's cooking to be this good."

Kosaka Akane and Machida Sonoko nodded along in agreement.

"Then you're all lucky. He'd normally rather order delivery than cook on his own."

Yukinoshita Shizuku said with a smile.

Tsushima Kagami walked over to stand beside Yukinoshita Shizuku.

"Yukinoshita?"

"Leave it to me."

Tsushima Kagami took the dishes from Yukinoshita Shizuku's hands and started washing them.

"Tired?"

"A little."

Yukinoshita Shizuku said, wiping her hands on a dry towel.

"I'll go take a bath first, then."

Hiratsuka Shizuka glanced at the direction Yukinoshita Shizuku had gone, then looked at Tsushima Kagami.

She blinked thoughtfully but said nothing.

"Oh, right, Shizu."

Tsushima Kagami turned to Hiratsuka Shizuka.

"Hm?"

"How was the mock exam?"

"It was okay."

Hiratsuka Shizuka lifted Yukino up and stared the cat in the eye.

"Passed the written test. The road test is next week."

"Huh, wasn't today the road test?"

"Didn't you already pass the written test before?"

Tsushima Kagami summed it up with unerring precision.

"Shut up!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka set Yukino down and glared at him.

"So what if I failed the road test, isn't that normal? You think a license is easy to get?"

"Shizu ran over the line during the parking maneuver.

A voice, faintly amused, drifted in from the hallway.

Yukinoshita Shizuku had apparently come back at some point without anyone noticing.

Holding a change of clothes, she smiled at Hiratsuka Shizuka and added—

"Three times."

"Yukinoshita!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka's voice jumped an octave.

"You promised you wouldn't tell!"

"I never promised."

With that, Yukinoshita Shizuku walked off toward the bathroom without looking back.

The living room went quiet again.

Then Kosaka Akane was the first to lose it, her shoulders shaking.

Machida Sonoko covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes crescenting behind her glasses.

Sayuri showed far less restraint, laughing out loud right away.

Tsushima Kagami managed to hold it in, but the corners of his mouth crept upward all the same.

"What's so funny!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka snatched up Yukino in irritation and hid her face behind the cat.

"You people, every single one of you, have no sympathy at all!"

Squeezed uncomfortably tight, Yukino let out a meow, wriggled free of her arms, landed lightly on the floor, and strolled off toward the hallway with elegant steps.

Even the cat walked out on her.

"Aw, I figured Shizu would be the one with no problems at all."

Sayuri said at this point, and Kosaka Akane and Machida Sonoko nodded along.

"After all, you handle your motorcycle so smoothly."

"I figured four wheels would be a breeze to get licensed on."

Kosaka Akane said with a smile.

"Honestly, when I sneak-drive around the neighborhood I'm totally fine."

"But the road test has all these rigid rules—so annoying, they completely cramped my style!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka protested.

"Okay, okay."

Tsushima Kagami finally spoke up to console her.

"Failing the road test is totally normal. Just take it again next time."

"I'm not upset because I failed."

Hiratsuka Shizuka's voice was muffled.

"Then why?"

"Because Yukinoshita said it in front of everyone."

There was a gritted-teeth edge to Hiratsuka Shizuka's tone.

"My image is completely ruined."

The three others in the living room exchanged a glance.

Image?

In their minds, Hiratsuka Shizuka's image had had nothing to do with words like "dignified and elegant" since basically the moment they'd met her.

But no one said that out loud.

Kosaka Akane cleared her throat and decided to change the subject.

The group carried on chatting, one comment tumbling after another.

The topics drifted from the driving test, to everyone's academic pressures, to their summer plans.

Like several rivers flowing into the same lake, it all blended together naturally.

About twenty minutes later, the bathroom door opened.

Yukinoshita Shizuku emerged in a change of loungewear, her long wet hair spread across her shoulders, drops of water trailing off the ends and darkening a small patch of her cotton clothes.

She rubbed at her hair with a towel and sat down in a corner of the living room, not joining the conversation, just listening quietly.

Tsushima Kagami noticed how quiet she was.

"Yukinoshita, you'll catch a cold if you don't dry your hair."

"I'll do it later."

Yukinoshita Shizuku replied flatly.

Tsushima Kagami glanced at her, said nothing more, and turned back to discussing storyboard details with Kosaka Akane.

Sitting in the corner, Yukinoshita Shizuku let her gaze settle on the side of Tsushima Kagami's face.

Whenever he spoke, his expression was always intent.

His brow would furrow slightly, his eyes would deepen, and the curve of his mouth struck just the right balance between warmth and seriousness.

He was like that with everyone.

Patient, meticulous, considerate.

When Sayuri needed encouragement, he'd offer just the right compliment.

When Kosaka Akane and Machida Sonoko needed advice, he'd lay out a clear, well-organized analysis.

When Hiratsuka Shizuka needed comforting, he'd defuse the awkwardness with a joke.

He always knew what other people needed.

Yukinoshita Shizuku lowered her lashes and folded the towel neatly on her knees.

"Yukinoshita?"

A voice broke her train of thought.

She looked up to find everyone in the living room watching her.

"Hm?"

"I was asking if you want to come to the summer doujinshi convention with us."

Kosaka Akane repeated the question with a smile.

"The four of us haven't put out a book together in a long time."

Yukinoshita Shizuku thought it over for a few seconds.

"Let's see once break starts."

"I'll need to go to the driving school with Shizu around then."

"And I've got to rehearse songs with Seika over the summer too."

"I might not have the time."

"I see."

Kosaka Akane didn't press further, just smiled,

and turned back to discuss book themes with Machida Sonoko.

Time slipped by unnoticed.

The clock on the wall now read ten o'clock.

Kosaka Akane glanced at the time and stood up.

"Oh wow, it's this late already. Sonoko, we should head out."

"Right."

Machida Sonoko stood up too, gathering the notebooks and draft papers on the table.

"Thanks for having us today."

"Not at all, not at all."

Tsushima Kagami stood up too and saw the two of them to the entryway.

"Come by anytime you're free, senpai."

"Then we won't be shy about it."

Kosaka Akane finished putting on her shoes and turned to poke her head back into the living room.

"Sayuri, want to head out together? There should still be trains running at this hour."

Sayuri hesitated, checking the time on her phone, then glancing at Tsushima Kagami.

"Well… I guess I'll…"

"Sayuri, why don't you stay here tonight."

A voice came from the corner of the living room.

Everyone's eyes turned to Yukinoshita Shizuku.

"It's Saturday tomorrow anyway, no classes."

She paused, then added—

"Didn't you take on the illustration work for Kagami's Little Prince?"

Sayuri blinked, taken aback.

She really hadn't mentioned The Little Prince to Yukinoshita Shizuku.

But then she realized Yukinoshita Shizuku had probably overheard from the hallway while they were talking earlier.

"Is that okay?"

Sayuri instinctively looked toward Tsushima Kagami.

Tsushima Kagami tilted his head slightly, his gaze sliding from Yukinoshita Shizuku over to Sayuri.

"The guest room's clean, and the sheets have been changed too."

"Do you two want to stay as well, senpai?"

Yukinoshita Shizuku turned with a smile to Kosaka Akane and Machida Sonoko, who had been ready to leave but now hovered, clearly wanting to say something after seeing Sayuri get invited to stay.

"Ahaha, won't that be intruding on you and Kagami?"

"It's not like it's the first time you've stayed over."

"Besides… there are already plenty of people underfoot."

Yukinoshita Shizuku said this and glanced at Hiratsuka Shizuka beside her.

Hiratsuka Shizuka could only stand there with an awkward grin, rubbing Yukinoshita Shizuku's shoulders.

"Ahaha, Yukinoshita really is as kind as she is pretty."

"So don't say it so harshly, okay?"

"Look, you're frowning so hard you're getting wrinkles."

Hiratsuka Shizuka went on smoothing out Yukinoshita Shizuku's furrowed brow, then used her fingers to tug the corners of her mouth upward.

"See, isn't this much prettier?"

"Then we won't hold back!"

Kosaka Akane and Machida Sonoko both said immediately.

Neither said anything further.

They hurried back inside from the entryway,

and pulled Tsushima Kagami along, saying—

"Since tomorrow's a day off for everyone, let's keep talking tonight~"

"And since we're all staying over tonight, why not play something more fun together?"

Hiratsuka Shizuka wandered back into the living room, looking rather bored as she watched them.

"Then it's decided."

Yukinoshita Shizuku stood up and headed toward the hallway.

"I'll go get you all some pajamas."

"Oh, right, are you all hungry right now?"

"I'll have Nayotake bring back some pizza in a bit."

Her figure disappeared at the end of the hallway.

____

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