The house had already settled into its nighttime silence.
After dinner, the usual routine of quiet separation had begun—each room becoming its own small world again, lit softly under warm lamps, disconnected yet close within the same walls.
Rei had expected to spend the rest of the evening alone.
That expectation didn't last long.
His room door opened without much warning.
Shiori stepped in.
Calm. Familiar. As if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Rei glanced up from his desk.
"…You're here," he said.
"Yes," she replied simply.
A pause.
Rei tilted his head slightly. "…Why are you in my room?"
Shiori looked at him for a moment, then walked in further without hesitation.
"Can't I come here?"
"That's not what I meant."
"It sounded like it."
She sat down on his bed.
Not carefully.
Not hesitantly.
Like she had done it before—and likely had.
Rei watched her for a second, then exhaled lightly.
"…You're getting lazy."
"I already was," she said.
"That's a problem."
"No, it isn't."
Silence settled between them for a moment.
The room felt smaller, not because anything had changed, but because it now held two people instead of one.
Shiori leaned back slightly on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
"…You're running for student council," she said.
" It's not like i want to, And the same goes for you."
"Yes."
Another pause.
"…This is getting complicated," Rei muttered.
"It was already complicated," she replied.
Rei leaned back in his chair slightly, thinking.
"You think Uzuki-senpai will still win?"
"Probably," Shiori said.
"You're not very confident."
"I don't need confidence," she replied calmly. "I need results."
Rei glanced at her.
"…That sounds like you."
"It is me."
A brief silence followed.
Then Shiori shifted slightly, turning onto her side.
"…Tired," she murmured.
"You didn't even do anything today."
"I did enough thinking."
"That doesn't count."
"It does to me."
Without waiting for a response, she moved again—this time sitting up, then gently shifting closer.
Before Rei could comment, she leaned in and rested her head on his lap.
"…Hey."
"I'm resting," she said simply.
"That's not what I meant."
"Is that so ?"
Rei sighed, but didn't push her away.
"…I didn't expected that you can be this much cute, last time it was when you was 6 year's old."
"I am always cute in your eye's."
A moment passed.
Then—
"Hair," she said.
"…What?"
"Stroke my hair."
Rei looked down at her.
"…You're ordering me now?"
"I'm requesting."
"That's not much better."
Still—
After a brief pause, his hand moved slowly, brushing through her hair in a gentle, steady motion.
Shiori's eyes relaxed slightly.
"…Good," she murmured.
They stayed like that for a while.
No urgency.
No competition.
Just silence shared between two people who were never really allowed to stay still for long.
Eventually, Shiori spoke again.
"…If we both become candidates," she said,
"it'll get noisy."
"It already is."
"More than now."
Rei hummed quietly. "…Yeah."
Shiori turned her face slightly, still resting on his lap.
"…You'll go all out?"
"Of course."
"…Even against me?"
A pause.
Rei's hand didn't stop moving.
"…Yeah," he said. "Even against you."
Shiori was quiet for a moment.
Then—
"…Good," she said softly.
After a while longer, she finally sat up.
The warmth of the moment didn't linger in words, but in the quiet ease between them.
"I'm going back," she said.
"Finally."
"I stayed long enough."
"That's debatable."
She stood, smoothing her uniform slightly.
Then glanced at him.
"…Good night."
"Good night."
And just like that—
She left the room.
THE NEXT MORNING came with its usual routine of announcements and structured noise.
Inside the school's announcement room, Shiori sat at her desk, headphones resting around her neck, notes neatly arranged in front of her.
Her friend Kaori Shiraishi leaned against the nearby counter, watching her for a moment.
"…You seem down today," Kaori said.
"I'm not."
"You are."
A pause.
Shiori didn't respond immediately.
Then—
"…Student council elections," she said quietly.
Kaori blinked. "Ah… that."
Shiori's gaze lowered slightly.
"If I become a candidate," she continued, "the workload increases. I may not be able to stay here as much."
Her fingers lightly touched the edge of her notes.
"…The radio program," she added, softer this time. "This room."
Kaori watched her carefully.
Then smiled gently.
"You're worrying about leaving?"
Shiori didn't answer.
"…You know," she said, "you don't have to choose between things you care about like it's a loss."
Shiori's gaze lifted slightly.
"You're not losing this room," Kaori continued.
"You're just… stepping into something bigger."
A small pause.
Then she added with a soft grin, "And honestly? You're way too capable to be stuck worrying like this."
Shiori blinked once.
Then slowly exhaled.
"…You're annoying," she said.
Kaori laughed. "I get that a lot."
But Shiori's expression had softened.
Just slightly.
Not resolved.
But steadier than before.
"…I'll be fine," she said quietly.
Kaori nodded. "Yeah. You will."
Outside the announcement room, the school continued its usual rhythm.