It's late when he get home, almost eleven o'clock.
That's definitely not a normal time for a high school student to be out, but since it's Saturday and today's music festival performance went so smoothly, indulging himself once in a while doesn't seem like a big deal.
The apartment is empty.
Just as she mentioned earlier today, Utaha had a meeting with her editor at the publishing house. It's a crucial time for her novel, requiring long discussions, so she didn't come over.
As for Eriri, due to her family's circumstances, she usually has to wait several days before she can find an excuse to stay over.
So, it's actually more common for her not to be here.
As for the rest of the band, it's the same as always.
Since it got too late, some trains had already stopped running, and it wouldn't be safe for the girls to take a taxi at night.
Driving each of them home would be both troublesome and time-consuming.
So, they went with a compromise—everyone stayed over at Nijika's house for a sleepover.
This wasn't the first time, so they were all familiar with the routine and took it in stride. They even had other plans for the night.
As Chisato had mentioned earlier, before midnight, they needed to upload the four pre-recorded original songs they performed today onto the internet.
Ikuyo was thoughtful—besides just uploading the songs, she also used the band's official account to repost several clear fan-shot videos from the performance and pinned them to the top.
Additionally, Chisato heard from them that after Seika dropped everyone off, she was still full of energy and went out again with her friends.
She was naturally a night owl. Before leaving, she had even packed a portable charger.
Nijika mentioned that before leaving the festival, her sister had specifically asked the cameraman for a backup copy of their live performance video.
Though it's hard to imagine, perhaps tonight, her sister really does intend to show off to her friends—and have a proper drink.
After all, just drinking juice with a group of underage kids probably didn't satisfy her. I won't say anything to dampen her mood. It's been a while since I've seen her this happy.
That was exactly how Nijika described it over the phone, her voice soft and gentle.
Chisato guessed he could picture it—the usually cold and aloof shop manager was so excited after our performance today.
That in itself might be proof of how successful the show really was.
After getting home, Chisato washed up, did some laundry, and hung the clothes on the balcony.
Then he spent a little time playing with Dark Wing. He has been so busy lately that I hasn't interacted with it as much.
Fortunately, Utaha is home every day and has been taking good care of it. Dark Wing looks bigger now, and its feathers are shinier than ever.
After bonding with Dark Wing for a while, Chisato yawned and went to his bedroom.
Today was exhausting—not just physically but mentally as well.
Leaning against the headboard, He glanced at the time. It was already past midnight.
Chisato opened the band's online page. Sure enough, new comments were flooding in—most of them raving about today's explosive live performance.
A quick skim revealed that many people were asking about the male singer who performed on stage.
I mean, no offense to Ikuyo, but if we're being honest, regardless of how good her singing is, there's still a fundamental difference between professional and amateur vocals in terms of skill and technique.
All in all, even though it was already late at night, the band's online page was still buzzing.
Refreshing the page, Chisato noticed that the official account was selectively responding to some of the trending comments.
He could already picture our band's "diplomatic social ambassador," Ikuyo, sitting in front of her computer, eyes shining with excitement.
Maybe it's time to consider having her create a few extra social media accounts and set up a fan group.
Thinking about these things, Chisato started feeling drowsy. He yawned, plugged in his phone to charge, turned off the bedside lamp, and lay down.
Just as he exhaled and closed my eyes, the doorbell rang.
The sound was especially clear in the quiet of the night.
Who could it be at this hour?
Utaha? Did she forget her keys?
Wait, no. The apartment door has a passcode lock.
But since someone rang the doorbell, he couldn't just ignore it.
Turning on the light, Chisato got up and headed to the entrance. Before the doorbell could ring a second time, he reached the door.
As a guy living alone, he still had to be cautious. So instead of opening the door immediately, Chisato first peered through the peephole.
The sight caught him completely off guard.
It was someone he never expected—Haruno.
She stood there with her hands behind her back, looking toward him with a warm smile, radiating an innocent and harmless aura.
But he knew better. That was just an act she put on for others. Anyone who took her at face value was bound to fall into her trap.
Haruno didn't press the doorbell again, as if she was waiting for a response.
Perhaps Chisato hesitated too long, because after a brief pause, she shrugged regretfully and looked like she was about to leave.
If he didn't figure out why she had come so late at night, his curiosity would keep me up all night.
After some internal struggle, Chisato opened the door before she could walk away.
"Ah."
Haruno, who had already turned around, immediately spun back at the sound of the door opening.
Her gaze, which had been deliberately cast downward, snapped up to meet mine, filled with delight.
"Good, I didn't wake you up, then."
That was why she hadn't rung the doorbell a second time.
If he was awake, one ring was enough. If he was asleep, repeatedly pressing the bell would just be annoying.
And in Japan, there's nothing worse than someone who can't read the mood.
Matching her attitude, Chisato gave her a polite but distant smile. Without falling into her pace, he asked directly,
"It's late. What brings you here, Haruno-san?"
"Oh, sorry. It's just… this is my first time seeing a boy's pajama fashion show. I got a little distracted. But I must say, your taste is much cuter than I expected, Suzumiya-kun…"
June was a transitional season. The summer pajamas he wore had a cute dinosaur print—part of a matching set Eriri had picked online for them a few days ago.
Haruno ended her teasing there and finally got to the point. She brought her hands forward from behind her back.
What Chisato couldn't see through the peephole earlier was now clear.
She was holding an empty soy sauce bottle.
This scene—doesn't it appear often in certain rom-com novels or TV shows?
Except in those stories, the female neighbor is usually wrapped in a bath towel, borrowing shampoo or asking to use the bathroom.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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