"That's wonderful. Ever since she started high school, she's never had any friends come over to play." Maki Nishikino's mother spoke with great relief. "I was a little worried."
It was clear that Maki Nishikino's mother also cared a lot about Maki Nishikino's social life, though not in terms of relationships with boys. What she was worried about was simply that Maki Nishikino might not have any friends after starting high school.
Click. The sound of the door opening came from outside the room.
"I'm home."
Maki Nishikino changed into her indoor slippers and saw another pair of shoes. Her mother was also at the living room doorway.
"Did someone come over?"
Maki Nishikino walked to the living room doorway, and her mother smiled and stepped aside.
"Hm?" Maki Nishikino looked at Hanayo Koizumi in some surprise.
"H-Hello."
"I'll go make tea." With that, Maki Nishikino's mother left the living room.
"Sorry for coming so suddenly."
"Is something the matter?" Maki Nishikino sat down in the armchair across from Hanayo Koizumi.
"This... fell on the ground." Hanayo Koizumi took Maki Nishikino's student handbook, which she had dropped at school, out of her bag. "It's yours... right, Nishikino-san?"
Maki Nishikino took the student handbook and flipped to the first page. It seemed this handbook really was hers.
"W-Why did you pick it up?"
"I'm sorry..." Hanayo Koizumi apologized instead, even though she had not done anything wrong.
"Why are you apologizing?" Maki Nishikino blinked, then suddenly thought of something. "Th-Thank you."
Then Maki Nishikino shifted her gaze somewhere else.
"You looked at μ's... promotional poster, didn't you?"
"Huh?!" Maki Nishikino had not expected someone to have noticed what she had been doing at that time. "Wh-Why would I look at it...? I don't know what you're talking about. Maybe you mistook