Takeshi remembered exactly the expression Aoi had worn when she left the apartment the previous morning.
She hadn't said anything. She had placed the empty cup on the table, picked up her bag, and said, "See you tomorrow," without any visible anger or further questions.
Ophélia had been different. She had barely spoken during the rest of breakfast, finished her tea, and when she stood up, she had looked at Takeshi for a moment before saying goodbye. A brief look, not hostile, but carrying something he hadn't been able to identify precisely.
It was now 7:40 in the morning, and he was walking to school while calculating the current state of the problem.
Nyx believed the outing with Sable had been to find a place where he could invite her. That meant if Nyx spoke with Sable, Sable wouldn't confirm that version because she knew nothing about it. If Aoi or Ophélia asked Nyx what Takeshi had meant by "having options," Nyx might say something that contradicted whatever he said later.
