Huff… huff…
Walking beside Shiratori Seiya on the roadside, Hōjō Shione was breathing lightly. A white mask covered the flush on her face, but as it puffed in and out, it was obvious she was struggling for air.
It was still early after breakfast. When she found out Shiratori Seiya was going for a morning run, she'd insisted on joining him, arguing that running was good for lung capacity. No reason to refuse, so he'd taken her around the nearby park for two and a half laps.
Shiratori vaguely sensed that she was trying her best to find time to be with him—like a shoujo heroine afraid of missing a single frame of screen time.
She'd been just as clingy when they were dating before, though of course, the intensity was much higher back then. If this were the old days, she'd probably be coming up with all sorts of excuses to make him carry her home by now.
Thinking that, Shiratori Seiya glanced at the girl beside him.
Hōjō Shione was wearing a white long-sleeved athletic top and black straight-leg pants today. Her long hair was tied up in a ponytail, and her chest rose and fell rapidly with each small breath.
His gaze lingered for a moment on her full chest, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Feeling his eyes on her, Shione's breathing rhythm hitched. The flush on her face deepened, even staining the corners of her eyes with a touch of crimson. A little thrilled, the corners of her lips—hidden behind the mask—curled upward slightly. She cleared her throat and asked:
"Cough… Seiya, do you usually go running with girls?"
"Usually? No, not before…"
Seeing Shiratori Seiya shake his head, Shione's eyes lit up like Christmas lights.
"Then we can always go together from now on…"
But before she could finish, she heard him continue:
"However, ever since Saori moved in, I've been running with her in the mornings."
"…"
Shione's eyes went blank for a moment. Her steps involuntarily stopped. Her palms clenched at her sides like a yandere about to snap.
"Shione?"
"Ah, it's nothing."
She pretended to be casual, touching the back of her neck. Just as she was hunting for a topic to break the awkward silence, Shiratori Seiya spoke again:
"For you, Shione, I'd still recommend running indoors."
"…"
The smile under the mask vanished. Her clenched hands trembled slightly, but she turned her head toward him and asked, feigning nonchalance:
"What's wrong? Worried I'll get in the way of you and Hasegawa later?"
"No."
He'd known she'd ask. Shiratori Seiya shook his head and explained:
"It's about your image. Even with a mask on, you're easy to recognize—especially after the recent concert incident. At the very least, you need to keep a low profile."
"And… didn't your manager mention this to you?"
Hearing that his words were still out of concern for her, Shione felt much better. She lowered her eyes and said softly:
"She did."
"Oh. I thought she hadn't even told you that much."
"Eh?"
Catching a hint of dissatisfaction in Shiratori's tone, Shione made a confused sound, pursed her lips, and asked:
"Did something happen before?"
"No. I just don't think she's reliable."
"Last time, she didn't even remember the details of such an important contract. If something went wrong, I doubt she'd be able to fix it."
She should change managers.
Though Shiratori Seiya didn't say it outright, Shione understood his implied meaning.
She habitually touched her right arm, then paused thoughtfully.
"That's true, but… not everyone is as responsible as you, Seiya. If we went by your standards, we probably wouldn't find a second person."
"…"
Silence fell between them, buried under the noise of passing car engines.
But the stiff atmosphere lasted only two seconds before the girl's silvery laughter suddenly rang in Shiratori's ears.
"Haha, Seiya, why are you so nervous?"
"I didn't say I wanted you to come back and be my manager again. And honestly, if you did that, it'd actually bother me."
"I just… envy Takahashi-San…"
"Now that I think about it, there were so many times I didn't cherish. If I had another chance—if I could go back to the past—I feel like I'd do some things better. And cherish certain people more…"
As she spoke, Shione couldn't help glancing at Shiratori Seiya, as if trying to read his reaction.
Half-truth, half-lie.
She did miss the past—the time she'd spent dating Seiya. But if she could truly go back… she wouldn't want to.
Why? Because there were still things she hadn't figured out.
Like why Seiya broke up with her. And why every person he'd dated after the breakup had outstanding talent in certain fields…
Until she understood those things, even if she went back in time, the outcome—breaking up with him again—wouldn't change.
She couldn't fully capture his heart.
Those damn women would still be tangled up with Seiya…
...
Hearing her words, Shiratori Seiya couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
He'd also wondered what would happen if he could go back to the past.
Go straight to Mio? One step at a time?
That would be hard. Even if he found her earlier, his age difference would make convincing her family impossible. After all, even now it felt like a struggle to reason with them.
Seeing him stay silent, Hōjō Shione felt a flicker of surprise.
Given Shiratori Seiya's personality, whenever she showed negative emotions—confusion, distress—he'd always comfort her…
She instinctively assumed he no longer loved her, or that his personality had changed. But when she noticed his downcast gaze, she immediately went on alert.
Could it be that this topic of mine is somehow special?
Her eyes flickered. She asked tentatively:
"Seiya… have you also thought about going back to the past?"
Hearing that, Shiratori Seiya snapped out of his thoughts, looked at her, and said:
"Everyone's probably thought about it, more or less."
"True."
Hōjō Shione nodded, then sighed.
"The more regrets a person has, the more they want to turn back time—to do everything they can to make up for them. But, Seiya… have you ever made the wrong choice? Do you have regrets too?"
From the way Shione was looking at him, Shiratori Seiya sensed a hint of something ominous—like a yandere flag being raised. But he couldn't quite put his finger on what felt off. He thought for a moment.
"Something like that. When I was a kid, I did some dumb things. Got bad test scores, messed up and got yelled at…"
"Is that so? But Seiya doesn't seem like the type to let small stuff get to him."
"I don't let it affect me, but sometimes it's annoying. Still, if I could go back, I'd probably be checking the stock market trends from the past few years. Then I wouldn't have to work hard for the rest of my life."
"Eh? So Seiya worries about money too?"
"Material foundation—who wouldn't want to be rich?"
At this point, Shiratori Seiya couldn't help but retort:
"Don't you want money?"
What I want… money can't buy.
Hōjō Shione sighed silently in her heart, then continued:
"Is that so? I really didn't expect that. But Seiya, you're so talented—you'll definitely never have to worry about money in the future."
"Maybe…"
The conversation trailed off. Hōjō Shione followed beside Shiratori Seiya, unconsciously drifting closer and closer until their foreheads were almost touching.
She kept her head down, lost in thought. As they neared the apartment building, she suddenly snapped out of it and reached out to tug on Shiratori Seiya's sleeve.
"Um… Seiya."
Her voice trembled again, like a shoujo heroine about to confess.
Shiratori Seiya turned his head and looked at her.
"What's wrong?"
"Seiya… are you free the day after tomorrow? If possible, I'd like to take you out for a meal…"
Hearing this, Shiratori Seiya couldn't help but frown. He noticed that Shione's voice now trembled whenever she was uncertain about something.
Was it a lingering effect from losing her voice during the concert?
"No prob—"
Shiratori Seiya seemed to remember something. His half-spoken agreement suddenly stopped. He asked:
"The day after tomorrow is Wednesday, right?"
"Mm."
Hōjō Shione nodded.
"Do you have classes that day, Seiya? If not, then maybe in the evening…"
"No…"
Shiratori Seiya hesitated, then decided to tell the truth.
"Wednesday afternoon is Saori's national tournament."
As if unwilling to let her overthink it, he continued:
"I promised her in advance. That afternoon is her competition."
"You promised in advance, so there's nothing to be done…"
Under her mask, Hōjō Shione bit her lip hard.
Am I too late again?
Apparently unwilling to give up, she pressed on:
"Then what about Thursday? Do you have time Thursday evening, Seiya? We don't even have to go out to eat—I've recently learned a few dishes…"
Seeing her persistence, Shiratori Seiya couldn't help but study her face more closely.
This was definitely more than just a meal. Did she have something she wanted to tell him?
He felt a little troubled, but after thinking it over, he realized he'd have to face it sooner or later. So he said:
"Thursday it is. I should be back Thursday evening."
Hearing that, Hōjō Shione's narrow eyes curved into happy crescents. She replied sweetly:
"Okay."
As if some major decision she'd made was finally going to be fulfilled, she straightened her chest and took a deep breath.
But the next moment, her movements suddenly froze. Her delicate brows furrowed.
In her line of sight, a girl wearing a khaki trench coat also seemed to notice her. She paused, then walked toward the two of them.
"Mio?"
Shiratori Seiya was a little surprised to see the girl in front of him. It wasn't even eight o'clock yet, was it? Shouldn't she still be hibernating under her blanket at this hour?
"Ah, it's me."
Takahashi Mio lifted her small black leather shoe and kicked at a loose stone on the ground, then looked at Shiratori Seiya.
"I went to your place and found you weren't home. Figured you'd probably gone for a morning run, so I waited here."
She paused, then glanced at the girl behind him and said in a half-joking, half-tsundere tone:
"I thought you'd rest in the morning since Hasegawa went off to her competition. But I didn't expect you to have a substitute already."