Date Invitation

The rain outside had stopped at some point, but no one inside had fallen asleep.

After a long while, Kiyoko-senpai was the first to speak.

"Hayato, did you really want to marry me when you were little?"

After a brief silence, Hayato's muffled voice came through.

"Of course. Kiyoko-senpai, do you remember? Every time I ran off to hide under the park slide, you were always the first one to find me."

"How could I forget? You were so stubborn back then—you refused to admit you'd cried."

"Let's not remember that part so clearly. Ahem... Anyway, that was when I started developing feelings for you, Kiyoko-senpai."

"I see."

Clearly hearing the happiness in Kiyoko's voice, Hayato continued.

"So, I still want to wait until what we have truly becomes love before properly confessing to you. Besides, our main focus should be the qualifiers right now. If... Kiyoko-senpai, if we really win the championship, I want to formally confess to you in front of everyone. What do you think?"

Rolling from his back onto his side, Hayato looked at Kiyoko and asked with utmost seriousness. Kiyoko turned onto her side as well, propping up her head with one hand while reaching over with the other to flick Hayato on the forehead. Then she answered with a radiant smile.

"We'll talk when you've done it. For now, let's leave things as you want them. Do your best in the qualifiers."

Without her glasses, Kiyoko's smile was even more dazzling. At that moment, moonlight slipped through a gap in the curtains and fell across her face, making the scene seem all the more radiant and pure. Even many years later, whenever Hayato recalled that moment, he would still feel that Kiyoko had been incredibly beautiful.

Sunlight streamed into the room. Kiyoko stretched. Perhaps because too much had happened yesterday, she was actually the first one awake. Seeing Hayato still lost in sleep, she smiled gently and quietly got out of bed to make breakfast.

She first brought in the clothes that had been hanging out to dry. After feeling them and finding no damp spots left, Kiyoko finally relaxed. Otherwise, she would not even have been able to go to school today. Though it was still the same set of underwear, she had no replacements and could not wash them together with other clothes, so she could only hang them up and put them back on once they had dried.

By coincidence, it was the very set Hayato had said was not cute enough. Looking at the somewhat plain underwear, Kiyoko muttered to herself as she put it on.

"Is it really not cute enough? How would Hayato even know? Hmph, he must have secretly looked at things he shouldn't have."

After getting dressed, she went to freshen up. Thankfully, Hayato's house had mouthwash, sparing her the awkward situation of having no toothbrush. Kiyoko then went into the kitchen, tied on an apron, and began making breakfast.

After working for quite a while, she finally finished. She brought miso soup, rolled omelets, teriyaki salmon, and several side dishes to the table. When she checked the time again, it was already six in the morning.

When she went upstairs to the room, Hayato was still asleep, so Kiyoko hurried over and shook him awake.

"Get up and eat. How much longer are you going to sleep?"

"Mmm, five more minutes."

"No~ Get up. The food will get cold soon."

Hayato sat up with a yawn, then froze when he saw Kiyoko in front of him.

"Huh? Kiyoko-senpai, why are you here? Oh~ right, you stayed over last night."

After another huge yawn, Hayato wiped away the tears squeezed from the corners of his eyes and finally woke up a little more. Then he stood and reached for the alarm clock by the bed.

"Ah, no wonder it didn't ring today. The battery died."

After putting the alarm clock back and turning around, Hayato noticed that Kiyoko had turned her head away and shifted her gaze from him.

"Kiyoko-senpai, why are you..."

Before he could finish, Hayato realized what was happening and immediately crouched down on the spot.

"No, this is normal—no, I mean, it's just..."

"Okay, okay, I know. Hurry and get dressed. I'll go downstairs first."

Only after Kiyoko left did Hayato stand up with a bitter smile and take the uniform hanging on the wall into his hands.

"Good grief. I embarrassed myself again."

Once he had completely calmed down, Hayato changed into his uniform and went downstairs to the living room. Seeing the lavish breakfast on the table, he could not help sighing.

"Oh~ It looks so good."

Just as he reached out to grab a piece of rolled omelet, Kiyoko smacked the back of his hand. With both hands on her hips, she looked just like a petite housewife.

"Go wash your face first. That's so unhygienic."

"Yes~~"

Hayato drew out his reply, only for Kiyoko to tell him that once was enough. Then she pushed him by the back into the bathroom.

After washing up, Hayato sat down and took a sip of miso soup first.

"Delicious. I really want to drink this forever."

After what happened last night, Kiyoko had become immune to Hayato's little teasing remarks. Instead, she lifted her chin.

"In your dreams."

The two chatted as they finished everything on the table. Seeing that it was still early, Hayato went out to exercise for half an hour before returning to head to school with Kiyoko. Kiyoko also prepared his lunch for the day and handed it to him.

On the way to school, they chatted as they walked.

"By the way, Kiyoko-senpai, are you free this Sunday?"

"Sunday? I don't have any plans."

"Then let's go on a date."

"A da... You really dared to say that. Sure."

Kiyoko's decisive acceptance of his invitation made Hayato stop walking.

Seeing the surprise on the boy's face beside her, Kiyoko smiled and tugged his arm, making him continue forward.

"You said all that, yet when I actually let go of my reservations, you're the one backing away. I'm still waiting for someone to win the championship and confess to me. If you retreat now, I'll laugh at you."

"I was just surprised by how decisively you answered, Kiyoko-senpai."

"Yes, yes~"

After arriving at school, they parted ways at the shoe lockers. Hayato went to the classroom alone, and as soon as he sat down, Tanaka leaned over.

"Hayato, you're in a great mood today."

"You can tell?"

"Your grin is practically crooked. Who wouldn't be able to tell?"

"Ahem, no it isn't."

After a bit of horseplay, the teacher entered, and the students of Karasuno High began another day of classes.

At lunchtime, Kiyoko was also questioned by her friend.

"Kiyoko, why are you so happy?"

"Am I?"

Keeping her expression under control, Kiyoko calmly asked in return.

"You are. I can't tell from your face, but I can still feel it. Does it have something to do with that childhood friend of yours?"

"Why did you suddenly bring up Hayato?"

"Huh, didn't you know? He's already become a topic among the girls. He's tall and handsome, good at every sport, and pretty good at studying too. The teachers always like calling on him to answer questions in class, and he seems especially fluent in English."

There was not a shred of exaggeration in those words. In the few days since Hayato transferred in, his appearance alone had attracted a group of girls. On top of that, he was great at both ball games and running during PE, and he always treated people with a smile. It would have been strange if no girls liked him.

Kiyoko's friend counted off the rumors she had heard on her fingers, then delivered the final blow.

"I heard girls in his grade are getting ready to confess to him."

"Oh, but that makes sense. Hayato really is outstanding."

Hearing her friend praise Hayato like that, Kiyoko did not feel jealous. Instead, she felt happy for him.

"Oh my, you're not jealous?"

Kiyoko silently grumbled to herself. They had almost done that yesterday—how could she possibly care about something like this now?

"Of course not."

"Achoo."

"What's wrong, Hayato? Did you catch a cold?"

Tanaka asked Hayato with concern as Hayato rubbed his nose. Training camp was coming up soon, and he did not want Hayato to be unwell.

"Maybe I got chilled. It rained yesterday, remember? It's nothing. I'll just take some medicine when I get home."

"True. Hurry up and eat. Afterward, I still need you to teach me. I still don't really understand the English passage the teacher covered this morning."

"Okay~"

After lunch, Hayato and Tanaka reviewed English for a while longer, and the afternoon classes passed without incident.