“You, don’t come to the studio in the middle of the night like this, high school girl... Are you here for some yobai?”
Kanno-san said, looking exasperated at Ichikawa, who was out of breath in front of us.
“Yo, yobai...!? No! It’s not the middle of the night, it’s early morning! If you’re going to say that, Maika-senpai, you’re also a high school girl out in the middle of the night.”
“I’m a laborer, so it’s fine for me.”
Wait, I feel like a high school girl doing late-night labor is more of a legal problem... Kanno-san might be 18, so maybe it’s okay then?
Letting out a big yawn, Kanno-san placed her hand on my shoulder.
“Well, whatever. Amane-san, your place is in Kichijoji, right? Let this guy sleep there. His hips are probably exhausted from the intense, hands-on lesson. ...Hmm, ‘hands-on’ doesn’t sound right. What was it... entangled?”
“No, that’s making it worse...”
If it were during the day, I might have said “Please stop!” more energetically, but in my state of satisfying exhaustion, that correction was the best I could do.
Hoping that even Ichikawa would understand this person was just making various mistakes, I turned my face toward her. She was looking at Kanno-san with eyes that said “Hah?” What kind of face is that?
“Well then, see you at school. ...For the first day, you did pretty well, Takuto.”
“Thank you very much.”
Since my master said she was leaving, I bowed my head firmly once again.
“Hey, hey, Konuma-kun.”
The ponytail angel tilted her head and pulled on the hem of my clothes.
“How was it?”
“...I’m looking forward to letting you hear my growth.”
Then,
“I see, ehehe, as expected of amane's drummer.”
She said shyly.
..................Super cute.
“Ah... so, what’s up with you this early? Did you drop by during your morning run?”
“Hmm, something like that? I thought I should collect your lunch box. Oh, how was the bento?”
“It was very delicious, thank you...”
“I see, I'm glad...!”
Ichikawa smiled bashfully.
“By the way, your face looks many times more tired than I imagined.”
“Really? Well, I’ve been doing something like sports without sleeping, so I guess it makes sense...”
“Something like sports...”
Ichikawa muttered softly and pulled on my hem again.
“Hey, why don’t you come to my house after all? Let’s sleep in my bed.”
“Eh?”
“Let’s, sleep, in my, bed.”
“Eh?”
...This is bad. Even though the meaning is perfectly clear from the context, my vision is spinning from the impact of those words combined with sleepiness...!
“That’s why, in mine—”
“I-I understand. But what about your parents?”
“They’ve already left the house. And my father isn’t around.”
“Eh, is that so?”
The first train just left, though...?
“...What kind of jobs do your parents do, Ichikawa?”
“My father is a diplomat, and my mother works at the airport.”
“A diplomat and airport duty...!?”
What, they have such global occupations...!? I mean, people working at the airport start that early...
“So, no one is at home. Besides, Konuma-kun...”
As she said that, Ichikawa buried her face in my chest.
“Ichikawa...!?”
“...Don't you want to take a shower? Wouldn't it be unpleasant to stay like this all day?”
“Well, that’s true...”
Wait, did she just smell me...? If she said “Don’t you want to take a shower?” after that, then I definitely want to take one.
“If so, come on.”
With that, Ichikawa gently took my hand.
From there, a tingling sensation like a shock ran through my whole body.
Holding my hand, she started walking.
“Ichikawa...?”
“...A short date until we reach my house.”