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“Chise, don’t eat potato chips in bed. Also, make sure to put your clothes in the laundry basket after you take them off.”
“Ugh, such a drag. It’s fine! Iroha-chan will take care of it anyway~”

Chise was sprawled out on the bed in just her underwear.

It had been a month since I started staying at Chise’s house. I felt like I had gotten somewhat comfortable pointing out things to her, but I couldn’t help but wonder if this was really okay.

This didn’t exactly feel like an argument.

But maybe that was the point. Being able to say these things might be what truly mattered. While I’d stayed over for a few days before, this was the first time we’d actually lived together.

Living together with someone was completely different from staying as a guest in an established family’s home. Compared to when I was with Inazuki, life here felt more hectic, like we were constantly rushing around without a moment to breathe.

“Even Ayaka eats chocolate in bed. I don’t think it’s fair that I’m the only one getting scolded!”
“I tell Ayaka-chan the same thing.”
“But you’re way nicer when you talk to her. Favoritism! Inequality treaty!”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

I couldn’t shake the feeling that, as someone being allowed to stay here, I didn’t have the right to act this bossy. But if I didn’t say anything, Chise would get mad at me for that too.

Because of that, it had somehow become normal for me to call out both Chise and Ayaka-chan on various things.

Maybe it’s because they’re sisters, but they share the same sloppy tendencies. Even their parents didn’t seem to sweat the small stuff, which left me as the sole voice nagging them about every little thing.

Spending time with the Haneda family had taught me something important:

People couldn’t live together on goodwill alone.

Chise’s family would voice their complaints to one another but still managed to stay close. Expressing yourself wasn’t the only way to show kindness.

Everyday actions also convey your feelings. That’s why it was essential to voice frustrations or point out things that needed improvement. Gradually addressing those differences that inevitably arise between people was how you made things work.

If you didn’t, cracks would start to show somewhere along the way.

I think that’s what Chise wanted to teach me.

It made me realize how mature she was. Far more so than me. Sure, she could be pushy, but still.

“…Huh? That book—”
“Oh, this? The one you bought the other day.”
“Are you reading it with hands that just ate potato chips?”
“Yeah, I guess. My bad, my bad.”
“…”

It’s not just “my bad, my bad.”

“Big sis Iroha! Do you know where my game is?”
“Didn’t you put it away yourself last night?”
“Ahh… where did I put it?”
“You need to put things back where they belong. I’ll help you look, but make sure to return it properly next time, okay?”
“Okayyy.”

Was this… really fine?

I felt like everything had somehow become slightly off.

And then there was Inazuki. I wondered how she was doing. What if, in my absence, she’d gone back to eating out all the time or only buying pre-made meals? That’d be so unhealthy.

What if, surprisingly, she’d already forgotten about me?

I couldn’t know for sure since I wasn’t allowed to use my phone lately. But if I hadn’t received even a single message, that might sting a little.

No, wait.

First, I needed to find Ayaka-chan’s game.

If she started crying, that’d be a real problem.

Before I knew it, September 1st had arrived.

I’d hardly had any time to think about Inazuki. Between helping Ayaka-chan search for her lost items and being dragged around by Chise, the days had flown by.

Since her parents had mentioned they wouldn’t be back until sometime in August, things were probably fine. Probably.

But what about Inazuki?

I’d contacted her on the first day, but before I could read her reply, my phone had been confiscated.

“Here, your phone.”

Chise tossed the phone over to me, and I caught it before turning it on.

When I glanced at the screen, a cold sweat broke out on my forehead. My messaging app had 130 notifications.

What if they were all from Inazuki? Feeling a mix of dread and anticipation, I opened the app—and sure enough, every single message was from her.

“What’s up?”

Chise looked at me curiously.

I couldn’t exactly say, My housemate’s message count is insane.

Instead, I smiled vaguely.

“Just surprised to hold my phone after so long.”
“Phone addiction much? Yikes.”

It really was yikes. There was no better way to describe it. I quickly sent a message to Inazuki to let her know I’d be coming back today, then began my morning routine.

After grabbing a spare uniform from home, I changed and headed out the door.

It had been a while since I walked to school with Chise. We didn’t hold hands or match our pace, as usual. She walked one step ahead of me, looking as cheerful as ever.

This past month had been just like this.

I felt like I’d gotten to know Chise better than before.

It hadn’t been outright arguments, but we’d exchanged enough words to feel closer somehow. Or at least, I thought so. Maybe it was just my imagination.

By the time we arrived at school, a few students were already in the classroom. Among them, there was no sign of Inazuki.

Even when the opening ceremony started or when classes ended, she didn’t show up.

“You’re heading back today, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then have a proper talk with your housemate. She’s probably been waiting for you.”

Chise gave me a firm pat on the back.

“It’s been a while, so maybe you two can talk about things you couldn’t before. I dunno though.”
“You’re saying that when you don’t even know?”
“I don’t know the details about you two. But hey, if you guys break up, I’ll be there to console you.”
“If that happens, expect me to bawl my eyes out.”
“As long as you can say that much, you’ll be fine. Anyway, go on. Get moving.”

With that, Chise turned and headed home first.

Dragging my slightly heavy feet, I boarded the train. Sitting down, I opened the messaging app to check Inzauki’s messages.

At first, her messages were things like, “Where are you staying?” or “Why?” But as time passed, the frequency decreased, replaced by a few missed calls.

She had already read the message I sent earlier.

Was she really waiting for me?

Or was she waiting for someone else—the Amakawa Iroha that I didn’t know? Maybe those messages weren’t meant for me at all, but for the me of some past timeline—

I shook my head.

There was no point in spiraling into doubt.

If I had questions, I would just have to ask Inazuki directly.

Otherwise, nothing would change. Staying in this lukewarm relationship forever wouldn’t take us anywhere.

I got off at the nearest station and started walking along the familiar route home.

After a short walk from the station, I reached the apartment building. I opened the entrance door and stepped onto the escalator.

The eighth floor of an eight-story building. That’s where Inazuki’s apartment was.

For a moment, I considered ringing the doorbell but quickly decided against it. Instead, I slid the key into the lock.

It wasn’t locked.

“I’m home.”

I opened the door, but no reply came. The lights in the living room were on, so Inazuki was likely there.

As I walked further in, a sudden impact hit me from the front.

Inazuki had leapt out of nowhere and thrown herself at me. No, she’d launched herself at me.

The momentum sent me sprawling onto the hard floor, the cold surface pressing against my back through my uniform.

“Inazuki, that hurts.”
“Welcome home, Iroha.”

Her response came a beat too late.

I waited briefly, expecting her to acknowledge my “that hurts,” but it seemed she had no intention of addressing it.

I gently stroked her head. I couldn’t see her face, but the weight pressing against me spoke volumes about her feelings.

“Yeah, I’m home.”

I was relieved I couldn’t see her eyes. If she was looking at me and seeing someone else through me again, I doubted I could stay calm.

“Did you cook and eat properly while I was gone?”
“I didn’t.”
“That’s not good. It’s unhealthy.”
“There was no point in cooking if you weren’t coming back.”
“That’s not true. A day will come where it will come in handy. Though maybe it already has.”

Her body twitched slightly against my chest.

Even as she buried her face against me, she didn’t try to get up. It was a little embarrassing, honestly.

“Inazuki. I want to talk to you. About everything we haven’t been able to say until now. I want to hear it all, too. Is that okay?”
“…Yeah.”

She stayed on top of me for a while longer before slowly sitting up. She held onto my hand as she led me to the living room.

Her warmth, as always, remained constant.

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