Mount Takao isn't particularly tall—just 599 meters above sea level. The path is gentle, well-maintained, the kind of walk that poses no challenge unless you've just graduated from crawling a few years ago or are so advanced in age your teeth are considering early retirement. It's less a climb and more a stroll through nature's front yard.
Shiratori Seiya had been here once before, though that visit had been little more than a fleeting glance. Compared to the grandeur of Mount Fuji or the rugged peaks of Mount Kumotori, Takao was hardly worth writing home about—better suited for a casual outing than any serious expedition.
Still, despite the familiarity, he found himself casting a sidelong, slightly dubious glance at the girl walking beside him.
It had been over half a year, and yet Hōjō Suzune remained stubbornly, infuriatingly unchanged.
She was small. The kind of small that made him think he could probably scoop her up with both hands and tuck her under his arm like a misdelivered package. His gaze drifted to her slender arms, pale and delicate, catching the sunlight with the clean luster of polished porcelain. Beneath the surface, faint veins traced delicate patterns, as if hinting at the fragility beneath.
If anyone ever needed to cast an immortal vampire loli, she'd be hired on the spot. No audition required.
His unvoiced suggestion earned no response—mostly because he hadn't said it out loud—but his staring didn't go unnoticed.
A flush crept across Suzune's fair cheeks, her eyes darting with a mix of shyness and mild alarm. She raised a hand to brush her bangs aside, her voice coming out a little awkward.
"Um, Seiya… why are you looking at me like that…?"
He blinked, snapped back to the present, and promptly averted his gaze with the practiced nonchalance of a man pretending nothing had happened.
"Climbing's fine," he said flatly. "But if you get tired, I'm not carrying you."
A soft hmph escaped her lips. She balled her delicate hand into a fist—adorably tiny, like a little bean bun—and puffed out her chest with exaggerated bravado.
"I won't need carrying. I've been exercising properly at school, you know."
"Is that so?" His tone suggested otherwise. "Because I seem to recall a certain someone who used to hibernate indoors like a bear avoiding winter. Last time I dragged you out for a run, you found a bench halfway through and decided it was nap time."
"Th-that was different!" Suzune's cheeks flamed, her voice dropping into a mortified murmur. "I was just too sleepy, okay? Who does morning exercises at seven? I hadn't even slept well…"
"Eight, then? That's still asking a lot, isn't it? Shione mentioned you usually sleep until one on your days off."
At the mention of her sister's name, Suzune's eyes flashed with indignation. She stomped her foot—lightly, more for effect than actual force—and shot back, "She's just slandering me! You shouldn't listen to a word she says!"
Her voice softened slightly as she added, "Besides… haven't you heard the saying? If you don't see someone for three days, you should look at them with new eyes. Anyway, I won't need you to carry me, Seiya."
To punctuate her point, she reached out and tugged lightly at his sleeve.
But after two steps forward, she paused, her gaze suddenly fixed on his left hand. Her expression shifted, quiet and searching.
Seiya noticed, but merely offered a casual shrug.
"Don't stare. Let's go. We're not just here for the mountain, are we? There's shopping this afternoon."
"Oh… right."
No time to waste indeed. Suzune gave a small nod and hurried ahead toward Mount Takao's Route 6.
The trail wound past Biwa Falls, the path narrow enough that they had to walk single file. Suzune fell in behind him, fingers still loosely curled around his sleeve. Above the murmur of flowing water, her voice bubbled up endlessly—like she'd been saving up all her words for this very moment.
She talked about his graduation, her own upcoming third year, new class assignments. Which teacher had gotten married, which students had started dating. The drama in her club when the president got assigned to a second-year. It was a stream-of-consciousness flood, and Seiya listened with occasional interjections—"And then?"—more to keep her going than anything else.
Lately, his head had been tangled with thoughts of Takahashi Mio's future career. Listening to Suzune's youthful, unburdened chatter was, admittedly, a welcome reprieve.
"So then Teacher Mami asked me to teach those first-year idiots. I tried to be patient—I really did—but they just didn't get it, no matter how many times I explained…"
"But recently, a second-year who plays piano transferred in. Not that she's anywhere near my level."
"When Teacher Mami told her she still had a long way to go compared to me, she got all competitive. Kept finding excuses like 'I'd like some advice from senpai for the competition.' So I just showed her a little of what I can actually do, and she ran off looking totally crushed."
"Ran off?"
"Ran off. Serves her right for being so full of herself."
Suzune lifted her chin, a smug little smile curling her lips, her expression that of a swan who knows exactly how elegant she is.
Seiya glanced at her but said nothing. Privately, he suspected the other girl had simply fled Suzune's relentless teasing, but some truths were better left unspoken.
Whew…
Her pace had been brisk, and now Suzune's breath came in soft gasps, her cheeks flushed with a warmth that wasn't entirely from exertion. A sudden heat prickled at her back, then a breeze swept through, leaving her shivering slightly.
"You still good?" Seiya slowed his steps, narrowing his eyes at the faint, sickly flush coloring her face.
Some things never changed. Skinny arms, skinny legs—did she really think he'd buy the "I've been exercising" act?
"Totally fine! It's only 1.5 kilometers left, right?" Suzune pointed to the sign ahead, her breathing still unsteady.
It read: [2.5 KM from starting point, 1.5 KM to summit…]
"Tell me if you can't manage."
At that, a glint flickered in Suzune's eyes. She clutched her head dramatically, her expression pitiful, her voice deliberately weak.
"Then… will you carry me up?"
Seiya stared at her, deadpan, then turned and continued walking without a word.
Behind him, her laugh rang out like a silver bell.
She quickly caught up, leaning in with renewed curiosity. "Enough about me. How have you been, Seiya?"
"In what sense?"
"You know… university stuff. You're graduating soon, right? What's it like? I want to know what I'm in for."
Seiya considered the question for a moment. "University's just university. Most people's circles are already set from high school—no fixed classes means it's harder to build connections unless you join a club."
"So that's where you met your girlfriend? In a club?"
"?"
Hojo Suzune's sudden shift in topic caught Shiratori Seiya completely off guard.
He paused for a beat, then shook his head. "No, I don't really do clubs."
"Eh? Seiya, you're still as antisocial as you were in high school." Suzune chuckled, then tilted her head. "So how did you two meet?"
"Money."
"Money?" She blinked, clearly not following.
Seiya nodded. "Yeah. Hard to explain the specifics, though."
"Oh… okay." Seeing he didn't want to elaborate, she pivoted smoothly. "Then what's her name? What's she like?"
He narrowed his eyes, turning to study her profile. "Why do I get the feeling you're more invested in my love life than your sister is?"
Suzune's gaze dropped instantly, her eyes fixed on her shoe tips. "No way! I'm just worried you'll get tricked, that's all. My sister didn't take responsibility for you, so as your honorary little sister, I have to vet her properly, right, Seiya?"
He let out a noncommittal hum, then answered. "Takahashi Mio. You've seen my posts, so you already know what she looks like. Personality-wise… she's greedy, prideful, and fond of playing little schemes. Aside from that, she's barely a decent person."
A manipulative gold digger.
The verdict formed instantly in Suzune's mind. She bit the tip of her tongue to keep the ache in her chest at bay, then said, "You'd better be careful she doesn't swindle all your money."
"That's not going to happen…" Seiya shook his head with a faint smile. After a thoughtful pause, his tone turned serious. "But actually, most people find university less relaxing than high school. It's the last hurdle before society—everyone's grinding toward a decent job after graduation."
"Most?" Suzune caught the distinction.
"Yeah. The rest are the ones born into wealthy families. They don't need to struggle—life's already stable."
He let out a quiet exhale. "Money often decides a person's future."
"Of course, there are also fools wandering through life without a plan, making a mess of everything, not realizing how deep they're in until someone else has to pull them out."
Suzune sensed a subtext, but after mentally scanning herself, she concluded he definitely wasn't talking about her. She sniffed. "That sounds awful. No self-control at all. I won't be that lazy in university…"
Her voice trailed off. She stopped walking, drew a deep breath, and declared with unwavering resolve:
"I've decided. I'm applying to Tokyo University of the Arts."
Seiya halted mid-step, turning back with visible surprise. "You're serious? Did your parents agree?"
At his reaction, something flickered across Suzune's expression—a faint furrow of her delicate brows, there and gone. Then she smiled, her eyes curving into crescents.
"Of course! I'm going to become a famous pianist."
"I thought you said you didn't have a dream like that?"
"People change, don't they?" The words slipped out, unconsciously borrowed from her sister. "Besides, my sister's so amazing. If I don't accomplish something impressive, I'll always feel like she's overshadowing me."
Her gaze met his, steady. "And since you said money decides the future… if I become famous and earn a ton, then both our futures will be secured, right?"
Seiya fell silent. Her earlier words on the phone resurfaced in his mind—about wanting to support him.
His lack of response made Suzune's expression crumple into something half-resentful, half-vulnerable. "You don't think I'm good enough, do you, Seiya?"
He blinked, then shook his head, meeting her eyes with absolute seriousness.
"Not at all. When it comes to musical talent, you're the most gifted person I've ever met. If you're willing to work for it, there's nothing you can't achieve."
Suzune went still.
Her lips parted slightly, a quiet joy blooming in her chest and spreading warmth across her cheeks. Her eyes grew hazy, her lashes lowering as she asked in a small voice:
"Then… will you write songs for me?"
The question caught him off guard. After a moment's hesitation, a faint smile tugged at his lips.
"My skills aren't good enough for that yet, are they? You think too highly of me, Suzune."
"Then in the future?" Urgency crept into her tone. "In the future, you will… right?"
She stared at him intently, waiting for the answer she needed to hear.