Kitahara Akira leaned his back against the headboard, his body steadily relaxing as he enjoyed the casual conversation with the girl sitting beside his bed.
Time slipped away unnoticed. The amber-orange hues bleeding across the western horizon gradually faded, replaced by the heavy, velvet cloak of the night sky.
*RUMBLE~*
An uncomfortably loud growl suddenly erupted from deep within Kitahara Akira's stomach.
The fluid cadence of their debate regarding Hiratsuka-sensei's theoretical ideal marriage age came to a grinding halt. Kitahara Akira instantly froze, a sudden flush of embarrassment washing over his features as he sat before Kato Megumi.
Even though his physical constitution had soared far beyond the boundaries of an ordinary human, it was only natural for his body to mount a fierce protest. After all, he hadn't swallowed a single grain of rice since last night due to the fever ravaging him all day.
Kato Megumi cast a subtle, fleeting glance toward the blanket covering his midsection. "Kitahara-kun, are you hungry?"
"Ah... yeah... a little," Kitahara Akira rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, wishing he could vaporize through the floorboards at that exact moment.
"Do you have any ingredients in the kitchen? I happen to know a thing or two about cooking."
"Eh?" Kitahara Akira blinked, caught off guard by the offer. "I mean, I'd love to. But Kato, is it really okay? It's getting late, won't your parents worry about you?"
Kitahara Akira turned his phone around, displaying the digital clock on the screen toward her. The display read 10:47 PM. Even with spring officially underway, absolute darkness had already claimed the world outside his window.
Kato Megumi rested her chin in her palm, trapping his gaze with a level, unreadable stare. "Mom and Dad already know I'm visiting Kitahara-kun, so they won't mind even if I head back a little past schedule. Or... are you the one worried that you won't be able to control yourself and end up doing something perverted to me?"
"I keep telling you, what happened back then was a complete accident," Kitahara Akira offered a wry smile, throwing his hands up in a gesture of absolute surrender.
As their proximity tightened and their dynamic locked into place, the subtly sly, mischievous facets of Kato Megumi's personality were steadily bleeding into the light.
'But Kato's parents are honestly on another level. How can they place this much absolute faith in a burning high school guy after only meeting me once? Though, obviously, I have zero desire to even glance at the prison gates.'
Kitahara Akira let out a quiet breath, attempting to pivot the conversation. "Hmm... Kato, you probably haven't had dinner yet either, right? Tell you what, let me do the cooking for you as a proper apology for my behavior earlier."
Kato Megumi tilted her head slightly, her gaze locking onto him with a trace of lingering doubt. "Eh? But Kitahara-kun, your condition..."
Kitahara Akira snatched the cold compress towel from his forehead, tossing it onto the nightstand. "My temperature has already plummeted. I'll be back to prime condition in no time. If you don't believe me, feel it for yourself."
Before the last syllable could fully leave his lips, a soft, chilling touch pressed against his brow. Kato Megumi had smoothly rested the back of her right hand right over his forehead.
Strangely, the skin beneath her touch—which had just cooled down moments prior—instantly felt a wave of heat simmering back to the surface at the sheer proximity.
Kato Megumi retracted her hand with an elegant movement. "You're right. It's not hot anymore."
"Haha, see? My body's recovery rate is top-tier," Kitahara Akira chuckled nervously, trying to suppress the erratic fluttering inside his chest.
He threw the blanket aside, stepping off the mattress with renewed vigor. "Leave the kitchen duties to me. This is the perfect stage for Kato to witness my absolute culinary prowess!"
Kato Megumi rose from her seat, quietly trailing after his footsteps toward the doorway. "In that case, I'll assist. Kitahara-kun has just crossed a fever, so please refrain from pushing your limits too hard."
"Understood," Kitahara Akira locked in his compliance without a single shred of argument.
***
*BUBBLE~ BUBBLE~*
Thick steam rolled out from beneath the lid of the boiling soup pot. Kato Megumi lifted the cover, allowing a rich, mouth-watering aroma to break loose and coat every corner of the kitchen.
After sliding the remaining prepared ingredients into the simmering broth, she replaced the lid and twisted the burner dial down to lower the flame.
"Kitahara-kun."
"What's up, Kato?" Kitahara Akira halted the rhythmic slide of his knife against the cutting board, turning his face toward the girl beside him.
"Actually, Yukinoshita intended to drop by and check on you this afternoon as well."
"Huh? Yukinoshita?" Kitahara Akira's hands went entirely still, a visible flash of shock cutting across his features.
"Yes. The plan was for us to head over together once the school hours concluded. But the moment we cleared the main gates, she was abruptly picked up by her older sister."
"Her sister? Ah... you mean Haruno-neechan?"
Kato Megumi knit her brows slightly, a trace of confusion entering her eyes. "Are you two already acquainted, Kitahara-kun?"
"We've crossed paths twice, so we're aware of each other. But her personality... let's just say thinking about her gives me an instant, severe migraine." Kitahara Akira rubbed his temples, a phantom ache flaring up at the mere mental image of the storm cloud known as Haruno.
"I see..." Kato Megumi seemed to easily map out the underlying chaos of that dynamic, harboring a silent seed of sympathy for Yukino Yukinoshita. "I was told that Yukinoshita’s mother requested the meeting personally."
Kitahara Akira let out a low grunt, returning to the rhythmic chop of his vegetables. "Well... Yukinoshita stems from a highly prestigious lineage after all. It's only natural for internal family matters of that scale to drag the second young mistress into the fold."
"That's true..." Kato Megumi nodded in agreement.
She glanced at the wall clock, then lifted the pot lid to ladle a small portion of the miso soup into a tasting bowl. Her red lips puckered slightly, exhaling a few soft breaths to temper the heat before offering the bowl straight toward Kitahara Akira's face.
"Kitahara-kun, would you mind tasting the miso soup?"
"Thanks." Kitahara Akira accepted the bowl and took a measured sip.
Instantly, his eyes widened a fraction. "This is incredible! I didn't think your cooking caliber would be this high, Kato. Did you ever take formal bridal training classes?"
Kato Megumi flashed a faint, satisfied smile at the reaction. "Hmm... I'm glad it suits your taste, Kitahara-kun. I used to practice bridal training routines with Mom quite often. I was actually worried my form might have dulled since it's been so long since I last stepped up to the stove."
"Bridal training?" Kitahara Akira cast an intrigued look at her profile.
The term mapped directly to the traditional sequence of domestic mastery Japanese girls undertook prior to marriage, encompassing everything from advanced culinary arts to household management to prepare them as the ideal maternal figure.
"Kato, is your ultimate goal to become a full-time housewife in the future?"
"I've honestly considered it. My academic scores are painfully average, nowhere near enough to breach a high-end university or anything of the sort." Kato Megumi let out a faint breath, staring into the rising steam with a distant gaze. "Besides, I'm the type of person whose presence drifts beneath notice. Even if I land a corporate job, my boss might only realize I existed the day I turn in my resignation papers for retirement."
Kitahara Akira rested his hand against her shoulder, offering a steady weight of reassurance. "Hmm... it doesn't matter what path you chart out, Kato. Your own happiness is the only metric that matters."
Basking in Kato Megumi's profoundly grounded aura occasionally caused Kitahara Akira to slip on a crucial reality. This girl possessed a passive trait that rivaled a high-level supernatural technique—an absolute mastery over masking her own existence from the eyes of the world.
Kato Megumi tilted her head a fraction, pinning her gaze directly against his face. "Then, what about Kitahara-kun?"
"Me?" Kitahara Akira tapped the end of his chopstick against his chin, musing over the thought. "To be completely frank, I haven't locked down a permanent decision. But there's a very high probability I won't be pursuing higher education. Maybe... pooling together capital to try building my own business?"
Had he been reincarnated into a fiction that strictly bounded itself to a slice-of-life framework, leveraging his precognitive knowledge to build an empire would have been a walk in the park. Unfortunately, the original story arc of the reality he now occupied would never allow him to cruise through life that effortlessly.
"Eh? Building your own business... Kitahara-kun is surprisingly ambitious, aren't you?"
Kitahara Akira tugged the corner of his mouth upward into a sly smirk, tossing out a casual joke. "How about coming to work for my company down the line then? I guarantee I won't wait until your retirement day to notice your desk in the office."
"My, I didn't expect to receive executive favoritism from Boss Kitahara this early in the game. I feel thoroughly flattered."
The two teenagers exchanged a synchronized smile, shattering the quiet of the kitchen with a soft, warm chuckle.
***
"Itadakimasu!"
At the dining table, Kitahara Akira and Kato Megumi sat directly across from one another, digging into the freshly served spread.
"By the way, Kitahara-kun, we still haven't locked down a location for the club activities this weekend. Do you have any recommendations?"
Kitahara Akira paused his chopsticks, looking up with a raised brow. "Huh? It's still undecided?"
He had assumed that despite his absence today, the remaining club members would have locked in a single destination, leaving him to simply receive the memo.
Kato Megumi nodded slowly. "Yes. Everyone agreed that a decision of this nature requires the absolute, unanimous consensus of every single member."
"Alright... let's hop onto the LINE group chat after dinner to sort this out together. We can't let this matter drag out any longer than it already has. Besides, my body could use a little muscle stretching anyway."
The rhythm of Kato Megumi's fingers holding her chopsticks steadily slowed.
She lowered her gaze, staring at the remaining food in her bowl as a faint trace of anxiety shaded her features. "Actually... I believe the club agenda can afford to be pushed back a little. Kitahara-kun, you've just crossed a critical threshold from a severe illness, so it would be best for you to focus entirely on getting absolute rest."
"Don't worry, my recovery rate is top-tier." Kitahara Akira thumped his own chest, flashing a confident smirk. "Besides, I already gave you my word, Kato. There's no way I'm breaking a promise over a minor issue like this."
Kato Megumi locked her eyes onto him before finally letting out a soft, defeated sigh. "Fine. But Kitahara-kun, please refrain from pushing yourself too hard."
***
*PITTER-PATTER~*
"This rain... doesn't look like it's going to let up anytime soon." Kitahara Akira stood by the window, resting his forehead against the glass pane as he stared at the heavy downpour drowning the streets outside.
After clearing their dinner plates and resting for a short while, Kato Megumi had actually intended to head back. However, the sudden storm arriving without warning completely pinned their steps inside the apartment.
Kato Megumi, sitting quietly on the sofa, cast a level glance outside. "What a coincidence..."
"With a downpour this heavy, the taxis operating around this district are probably completely booked out by now." Kitahara Akira strode toward the utility closet, rummaging through the shelves before pulling out a single raincoat. "I could only find one. Why don't you wear this, Kato? I can drop you off on my bicycle."
Kato Megumi immediately shook her head, rejecting the proposal without a second thought. "Absolutely not. Kitahara-kun just crossed a dangerous fever, there is no way I'm letting you brave a storm like this."
The bob-haired girl slipped her hand into her skirt pocket, displaying her glowing phone screen toward him. "I just sent a text to Mom. For tonight, I'll have to trouble Kitahara-kun to take me in."
*GULP.*
Kitahara Akira swallowed hard, his adam's apple bobbing roughly against his throat.
This was the absolute first time in his life a girl was staying over at his place. Being locked inside a single enclosed space, entirely alone together... How was a rookie virgin like him supposed to handle a crisis of this caliber with a straight face?
*TING!*
The phone in Kato Megumi's hand vibrated once more, signaling a fresh notification.
"Hmm... Big Sister Hiromi sent a voice memo." Kato Megumi tapped the audio icon on her screen, letting the phone's speaker play Kato Hiromi's playful voice.
—"Oh my! So Megumi-chan is actually staying over at Kitahara-kun's place tonight? Make sure you two use proper protection, okay! After all, I am definitely not ready to become an aunt in my early twenties. Though, of course, if you two are simply too impatient to wait for a baby, I won't exactly—"
*CLICK!*
Kato Megumi smashed the stop button with a lightning-fast reflex, cutting off her sister's recording before the devastating sentence could fully leave the speaker.
An absolute, suffocating silence instantly seized the room. The two teenagers exchanged a paralyzed look in pure, unadulterated awkwardness. Kato Megumi slowly turned her face away as a deep pink flush aggressively bloomed across her cheeks and ears. This was the absolute first time Kitahara Akira had ever seen Kato Megumi lose her legendary composure to this extent.
Kitahara Akira cleared his throat roughly, desperately trying to puncture the heavy atmosphere choking the room. "Ahem... Um, Kato, do you want to shower first? I have a few sets of brand-new pajamas stored away in the closet."
The school uniforms they took off could go straight into the washing machine, and the automatic dryer feature would ensure they were crisp and ready by dawn.
Kato Megumi twirled the hem of her shirt between her fingers. "Kitahara-kun should go ahead and use the bath first. I'll clean up after you."
Kitahara Akira nodded frantically, scrambling to grab a change of clothes before fleeing into the bathroom to cool down his overheating brain.
Inside the shower stall, Kitahara Akira sat on a small plastic stool, aggressively scrubbing his skin. "Dammit... this is really the first time a girl is staying over. The vibe is completely throwing me off..."
The mental image of Kato Megumi's blushing face as she terminated the voice memo flashed behind his eyelids once more. The corner of his mouth tugged upward into a faint smile. "But man, I didn't expect her to look that adorable when she's flustered."
"Gah! No, no! Stop overthinking things, Akira!" Kitahara Akira slapped both his cheeks hard, feeling a strange, simmering warmth beginning to pool in his lower abdomen. Without wasting another second, he aggressively rinsed himself under the cold tap before plunging straight into the bathtub.
After a ten-minute soak until his circulation finally stabilized, Kitahara Akira quickly threw on his clothes and stepped out of the bathroom.
Kato Megumi was still perched on the sofa. Her left hand smoothly scrolled through her phone screen while her right hand moved in a rhythmic stroke, petting the soft fur of Anko, who was lounging lazily across her lap. Watching his pet cat look that utterly blissful under her touch, Kitahara Akira suddenly felt a wave of envy directed toward his own animal.
"Ahem. Kato, I'm all done. Your turn, you should probably hurry before it gets any later."
"Hmm." Kato Megumi rose from the cushions.
*MEOW!*
The sudden movement startled Anko. The cat bolted in a panic onto the coffee table, accidentally clipping Kitahara Akira's black duffel bag and sending it tumbling to the floor.
*THUD!*
The bag landed inverted, causing its entire contents to spill across the carpet.
A sketchbook, a stylus pen, and... a visual novel packaging box sporting an incredibly explicit cover illustration laid entirely exposed to the elements. The design left zero room for interpretation, proving it was absolutely not a game intended for general audiences, complete with an unmissable 18+ content warning stamped across the corner.
........................
Time within the apartment seemed to freeze solid.
'Oh my god! Where is Sadako's videotape that I stored away yesterday?! Why did this accursed thing crawl out instead?!' Kitahara Akira's brain worked in frantic hyperdrive, desperately trying to process the social catastrophe that had just unfolded.
Kato Megumi lowered her gaze, staring down at the adult game box on the floor before slowly lifting her eyes straight into Kitahara Akira's face.
"Kitahara-kun..." Kato Megumi pulled the fabric of her loose pajamas tighter around herself, the blush that had just faded violently returning to coat her features for the second time today. "It's only natural for a high school guy your age to harbor an interest in... things like this. But, please ensure you look after your physical health properly..."
"No! Kato, let me explain! This is a complete misunderstanding! I'm entirely innocent here!!!" Kitahara Akira voiced a frantic protest, crossing his arms frantically in the air.
Kato Megumi took a silent step backward, her eyes laced with absolute caution. "I'm heading into the bath now, Kitahara-kun. Please don't even think about peeking!"
Without waiting for a response, she blitzed into the bathroom, slamming the heavy door shut behind her.
*THUD.*
Kitahara Akira dropped to his knees, his palms slamming against the floor as his entire visual character appeared to turn a bleak, ashen gray under the weight of the psychological devastation.
'It's all over... The social reputation I painstakingly built up over a lifetime was completely obliterated in a single night!'
***
Like most girls, Kato Megumi spent a considerable amount of time inside the bathroom.
When the door finally swung open again, Kitahara Akira was busy smoothing down several layers of thick blankets over the living room sofa.
"Ah, Kato, you're all done?" Kitahara Akira straightened his posture, adopting the most deadpan, serious facial expression he could muster to mask his unhealed mental trauma.
"Hmm. What are you doing, Kitahara-kun?" Kato Megumi stepped closer with an unbothered stride, her cadence perfectly flat as if the mortifying incident from minutes ago had never transpired between them.
"Uncle Nagano just vacated the place today, and I haven't had a chance to clear out the remaining boxes from the guest room. So, you use my bedroom tonight. I'll take the sofa here."
Kato Megumi glanced at the spread of blankets over the cushions, pondering briefly. "Eh? I don't mind, but..." her voice trailed off, choosing to lock her remaining thoughts away.
"Hehe, don't worry. I have Anko to keep me company out here." Kitahara Akira offered a hollow chuckle, rustling the fur on the cat's head to break the lingering ice.
Kato Megumi ultimately nodded in agreement. After trading a few more light, short sentences, the two teenagers exchanged a synchronized yawn before voicing their goodnights and parting ways to their respective spots.
***
Deep into the midnight hours, Kitahara Akira kept tossing and turning across the sofa. Because the cushions were exceptionally wide, the major portion of the thick blankets covering him slowly slid down, pooling onto the floor without his awareness.
The midnight breeze of early spring still carried a biting chill. In his subconscious state, Kitahara Akira instinctively curled into a tight ball, wrapping his arms around himself to ward off the icy sensation biting at his skin.
A slender silhouette smoothly materialized from the darkness of the hallway. Kato Megumi walked toward the sofa area, anchoring her gaze onto the boy shivering in his sleep.
Strangely, despite the apartment floor being prone to creaking under weight, her entire movement sequence produced absolute zero sound—a flawless demonstration of her supernatural passive trait.
She bent over, collecting the stray blanket from the floor and spreading it carefully back over Kitahara Akira's form with measured caution.
*RUSTLE~*
The faint rustle of the fabric was just enough to disturb Anko, who was resting near Kitahara Akira's feet.
*MEOW~*
Anko cracked her wide eyes open, blinking up at the girl who had suddenly manifested before her in the middle of the night.
Kato Megumi rested her right palm over Anko's head, smoothing the cat's fur twice to quiet her down. Meanwhile, her left hand rose, positioning her index finger vertically right in front of her own lips.
"Shh~"