At first, Haruto thought that Mai was speaking to him because of his relationship with Sekai, and her worries about Setsuna's future. He assumed that was the reason for the conversation. But as the discussion progressed, Haruto began to feel something was off.
It wasn't until they started talking about keeping his distance from Yoko that Haruto realized what was really going on. He looked at Mai, now visibly startled, and finally understood why she seemed so tense.
"Are you worried that something might happen between me and Sekai's mother... and that's why you're telling me to stay away from her?"
Mai's eyes shifted nervously, and Haruto immediately knew he had seen through her intentions. She stopped avoiding his gaze, took a deep breath, and nodded solemnly.
"Other things don't matter, but don't get involved with Yoko, that woman. It's better to stay far away."
"Is her personality that bad?" Haruto asked.
Mai pressed her lips together. After knowing Yoko for so many years, she understood her friend's personality well. It wasn't that Yoko was cruel; it was more complicated than that.
"No... it's not about being bad. The problem is, once you get involved with Yoko, it's not so simple. It'll end badly, understand?"
"You mean she'll cling to me?"
"Something like that. Though Yoko says she's no longer interested in men and has no expectations for the future, that's just a casual excuse. If she sets her sights on you..." Mai's warning hung in the air.
"I understand," Haruto said, cutting her off, not wanting to hear more. From now on, he'd simply avoid the Saionji household. They wouldn't come looking for him, right? If Sekai invited him over, he would just decline.
Feeling that he had made his decision, Haruto looked at Mai, who had matured into a woman. Even someone like her still had some childish concerns. He couldn't help but stand up and move beside her. Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he gently rubbed the back of her neck and whispered in her ear.
"Having you is enough for me."
Mai's face flushed as she felt Haruto's presence close behind her. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quietly let him touch her. Her eyes closed, lost in the moment.
When Haruto and Mai returned to the Kiyoura household, Haruto saw Setsuna waiting for them. She noticed the lingering redness on Mai's face and turned her gaze toward Haruto. Their eyes met, and Haruto gave her a gentle smile, causing Setsuna to sigh inwardly.
After having dinner with the Kiyoura family, Haruto stayed a little longer, watching TV with them, before heading back to his apartment. He sat quietly at his desk, about to sit down when he glanced at the chair.
"I was in a rush and didn't clean up properly."
He grabbed two tissues from the desk and wiped the sticky water marks off the chair. Then, using some alcohol from the pharmacy, he cleaned it again before sitting down. An hour passed, and as the 'Honey Land' reached its finale, Haruto thought to himself that tomorrow it would all be over.
"Submitting the manuscript is another problem. I'm not sure where to send it... Giving it all to Mai... wouldn't be appropriate."
He didn't want Mai to deal with such things. If it came down to it, he would just leave it in his drawer and release it later when he was older. He wasn't concerned for now. Besides, it seemed like his ordinary writing would suffice to sustain his life.
He set down his pen and, once the first batch of royalties came through, he'd buy himself a laptop. Handwriting was simply too slow compared to typing on a keyboard.
_ _ _ _
"What day is it today?"
"26th."
"It's already the 26th. Time flies. June's coming, then July, and soon, summer vacation."
Futaba Rio looked at Haruto across the table, silently lowering her head as she quietly ate her lunch.
"Rare to see you here. I haven't seen much of you at school recently. Since you have time now, aren't you curious why I had lipstick on the corner of my mouth that day?"
"Why ask about that?"
"Aren't you curious?"
"Though I'm a little curious, I'm more surprised that you're bringing it up."
Originally, Haruto had no intention of talking much with Rio, but suddenly, she brought up something that piqued his interest. Haruto noticed how Rio had focused all her attention on him, and they locked eyes, silently.
"It's not a big deal. She's a senior."
"That one?"
"Yes."
"The one we left school with?"
"Now that you mention it, you must have seen us leaving together that day. I'd almost forgotten about it."
The petite silver-haired girl had already made a mark in Rio's mind, and now, her image became clearer. She furrowed her brow, feeling an unexpected sense of concern for the girl.
Haruto remembered the day only after Rio's reminder.
"It was her."
"She's not your girlfriend, is she?"
"Well, my girlfriend is a student at Sakakino Academy. She lives near my apartment. The senior... our relationship is a bit complicated."
"Cheating?"
Haruto nodded at Rio's sharp question.
"Technically, yes, it could be considered cheating."
"Not going to deny it? Even if you admit it so frankly, it doesn't change the fact that it's a scummy thing to do, right?"
"Scummy? I can't deny it. What I did is definitely wrong. Most girls would never tolerate it. But... my girlfriend isn't in that category."
Rio felt her moral compass shaking. Though she had invested most of her energy in science, she still had basic moral values.
"What do you mean?"
Rio's suspicion grew as she watched Haruto, her brows knitting tightly. She wanted to hear how he would explain his scumbag behavior.
"You just need to know that my girlfriend doesn't mind. That's all you need to understand."
"The girl you were with that day... she doesn't seem like someone who would approve of this. She's your girlfriend's friend, right?"
"That day... Kotonoha?"
"The one who was with her younger sister? She saw us together and seemed surprised. She thought our relationship was something else and was planning to tell your girlfriend?"
Rio's mind was spinning. She didn't fully understand what she was saying, and she didn't know why Haruto was telling her this. Her thoughts were a mess, and she closed her lips, glancing at Haruto with confusion.
"Because you're so cute, that's probably why she misunderstood."
"Cute... I see. I didn't realize you were so skilled at sweet-talking. Is this how you talk to girls outside of school too? Or do you think we're close enough that you're trying to make a move on me?"
Rio blurted out what was on her mind, but as soon as she saw Haruto's ambiguous smile, she realized she might have gone too far.
"I'm not currently interested in dating anyone, so don't think I'll just let you—"
"You might be misunderstanding me. I only see you as a friend, Rio. I'm not making any moves."
"…"
Rio fell silent. She had hoped to politely refuse Haruto's advances, but after hearing the word "friend," she was struck dumb.
"It's like the simple restlessness of adolescence. I actually value friendships more. Pure friendships are more precious than the 'love' driven by hormones, don't you think?"
The words she wanted to say were stuck in her throat. She looked at Haruto's gentle smile and felt a strange ache in her chest. Biting her lip, she slowly lowered her gaze.
"Yeah… you're right."
After that, Rio didn't listen to anything Haruto said. His words became a blur to her ears, and by the time she snapped out of it, Haruto was already gone.
She sat alone in the empty laboratory, her mind a whirl as she replayed everything Haruto had said. With a heavy heart, she lowered her head.
"Friends..."
Once hopeful to have friends, Rio now found herself inexplicably disliking that label.
Placing her hand over her chest, Rio closed her eyes...
"Your book's publication details have been mostly settled. Next, it's about printing and negotiations with bookstores. The print run of 6,000 copies will be distributed across various bookstores, but it won't be many copies in each. It's probably just going to be sold in Tokyo."
Haruto received a call from Mari as he walked home after school. He met with her at a café to discuss the publication details.
Upon hearing Mari's update, Haruto didn't seem excited or disappointed. He sat silently in the café, staring at the menu for a while before ordering a cappuccino. He sighed quietly.
"I see. But can you tell me which bookstores?"
"Well, there are quite a few, like Kinokuniya and Sanseido. Also, Maruzen and Junjudo, along with a few others. Some smaller bookstores too."
The vague answer didn't inspire much hope in Haruto. He planned to visit those bookstores once the books were out. He sighed again.
"So, has the printing already started?"
"Yeah, the royalties for the print run will be transferred to your account before the release—510,000 yen. Don't forget to pay taxes, okay?"
"I understand."
"Your pen name is set. You're not changing it, right?"
Haruto chuckled lightly at Mari's concern, and in an almost unnoticeable gesture, he nodded affirmatively.
"It's staying the same for now. If nothing major changes, I'll likely keep it."
"Miyamizu Yuka... Alright, after it's published, I guess I'll have to call you 'Miyamizu-Sensei.'"
"Being called 'Sensei' is a bit embarrassing."
"Well then, has Miyamizu-sensei already thought about the new book? Are you planning to start working on a new project soon?"
Although the first batch of prints wasn't large, that didn't mean Mari would underestimate the young writer. The boy's skill wasn't lacking; he simply had the misfortune of choosing the wrong publisher. If he had been with a major publishing house or participated in more award events, perhaps he would have received better treatment.
A slight sense of regret filled her heart for the young man as she casually asked about his next work. She wanted to understand his thoughts. If he was willing to publish with Sakura Publishing, it would be ideal.
The previous contract hadn't bound the young man to her company, and she suspected that his impression of Sakura Publishing wasn't particularly positive. If he felt disheartened and decided to move to another publisher, it wasn't entirely out of the question.
"Not yet. I'll think about it once the book is published. After I get the royalties, I'll need to buy a suitable computer. That'll make it more convenient for my writing."
"To avoid delaying the creation of a future great writer, how about I sponsor you?"
Mari said this half-jokingly, but there was a hint of seriousness in her tone. She recognized the boy's talent and wanted to maintain a good relationship with him, hoping he would continue on this path. With various thoughts in her mind, she spoke to him.