Dinner ended without incident. Sakuya ended up devouring three helpings, while Koyuki neatly polished off two.
Naoya was busy washing the plates. I wonder what’s up there... She totally remembered something.
After Koyuki had finished eating, she silently left her seat and headed upstairs, leaving Naoya, Sakuya, and Gizzard in the living room. Sakuya was speaking to Gizzard while Naoya busied himself in the kitchen. Despite the loud rushing of water in the sink, Naoya could still make her voice out clearly.
“What kind of ceremony do you think would suit them, Gizzard?”
“Meow?”
“I like this chapel. It’s so new and beautiful. Apparently, their food is amazing, as well.”
“Meow... Mrrp.”
“You’d prefer the more traditional Japanese style?”
“Mrooow.”
Naoya popped his head into the room and spotted Sakuya obsessing over something on her tablet screen. Is she planning my wedding in there? Naoya pondered to himself while he looked up at the living room ceiling.
The Shirogane family’s bedrooms were probably on the floor above them, as Naoya could hear the scuffle of footsteps and furniture moving above him from time to time. He wondered if she was looking for something. No, it was more likely that she was just cleaning—her footsteps weren’t wandering around, and they sounded slightly hurried.
Is she gonna invite me up to her room? The sudden thought caused Naoya’s hands to falter, and soap flew around the sink. Between her meaningful look at dinner, her rush upstairs afterward, and the frantic cleaning, it was the only natural conclusion.
“No. No way. Get a hold of yourself, Naoya,” he berated himself out loud. She couldn’t even bring herself to call him by his first name. What were the odds that she was going to invite him to her room? Fat chance.
“Sasahara?” a voice called out behind him.
“Agh!” He yelped, nearly dropping the plate in his hand. He turned around and saw Koyuki standing there. She must have snuck up on him while he was absorbed in thought. “Wh-What’s up?”
“Well, um...” Koyuki said hesitantly, pressing the tips of her fingers together and avoiding eye contact. “Um, come this way, okay? Don’t let Sakuya see. She’ll only make fun of us.”
“Huh?”
“This way,” she repeated before heading toward a staircase behind the kitchen.
“Wait, does this go to the second floor? Am I really allowed up there?”
“Never mind that. Just hurry up,” she stressed, lightly nudging his back.
“Okay, I got it,” he relented and timidly headed up the stairs.
As with the ground floor, the ceilings practically spanned to the heavens. A row of doors littered the hallway, and Koyuki headed directly for the farthest one. Her unwavering gaze commanded Naoya to follow.
As he followed meekly behind her, Naoya’s impure thoughts began to rear their ugly head once more. His mind raced, firing on all cylinders at once. No way, there’s no way... She’s just gonna ask me to carry some heavy stuff or something like that.
Before he knew it, he was viewing what was most certainly a girl’s room.
The room was colored in soft pastels, and it was adorned in various cat plushies. The furniture—a desk, a set of drawers, a plush bed, a bookcase, and a small chest—were all tasteful and matched the colors of the room. The walls were also decorated with tasteful stickers and the like. And, of course, the room itself smelled amazing.
“Th-This isn’t your room, is it?” Naoya gulped.
“Yeah, it is. What about it?” she answered somewhat defiantly.
At her sudden admittance, Naoya lost his ability to speak. What the hell is happening?! He was so blindsided that his normally handy intuition became completely useless—he had no idea what Koyuki was thinking. There was one thing he was certain of, though. “Shirogane, a girl mustn’t invite a guy to her room so casually. You remember what happened when we were alone together at Kirihiko’s place, right?”
“I do, but I had no other choice,” Koyuki answered uneasily as she gazed at the floor, then nodded. “Y-You made dinner for us today, so... I-I wanted to thank you.”
“Th-Thank me?” he stuttered.
“But I’d be too embarrassed if Sakuya saw us, so that’s why I led you here.”
“Embarrassed?” Naoya’s mind, which was still racing with wild thoughts, was quickly honing in on a single conclusion. “Sh-Shirogane, I think we’re moving too fas—”
“Here,” Koyuki said, holding out a small box wrapped in pink paper with both hands. He accepted it silently. “You’re always helping me so much. That’s why I decided to get you something. I bought it when we were out shopping.”
“Oh, so that’s where you snuck off to,” he mumbled, recalling that she had snuck off earlier that day while they were at the mall. I’m kind of a moron today, aren’t I? he mentally scolded himself, and his face became downcast.
Koyuki saw his expression and worriedly added, “O-Oh, I’m sorry. I was worried a present would just end up being a bother. I’m sorry...”
“What?! No, no, no! It’s not that at all! I’m super happy, actually!” he quickly cut in.
“I’ve never really given people presents before, so, uh, I hope you like it.”
“I’d be happy with anything you gave me. I’m the kind of guy who eats charcoal without a second thought, remember?”
“I-I guess you’re right.”
“Um, i-is it all right if I open it now?” he asked.
“Sure, go ahead.”
After an awkward exchange, Naoya eagerly removed the lid and looked inside. He looked puzzled at its contents. “A handkerchief?”
The gift in question was light blue and adorned with snowflakes. To be honest, Naoya wondered if it was a bit too cute for him.
“Yeah... I thought something you’d actually use would work well,” Koyuki hesitantly explained. “I got it from a girl’s store, so I was a bit worried about whether or not you’d like it. But I knew this was the one when I saw it. I just went with my gut.”
“Hah...” he exhaled.
“Wh-What? Is something wrong?”
“No, not at all,” he assured her, forcing the words through his dry lips. She’d given him a handkerchief with snowflakes on it. Considering her name, which meant “light snow,” this wasn’t far from a confession—even if it had been an unconscious one.
Should I do it now? he pondered. The setting was almost perfect, and he’d spent so long worrying and agonizing about it that he really didn’t care anymore. Naoya’s feelings came gushing forth, practically overflowing out of his body.
He quickly grasped Koyuki’s hands and declared, “Shirogane!”
“Eek!” Koyuki shrieked and jumped back slightly. As a result, she ended up losing her balance and pulled Naoya down with her.
When they both came to their senses, they found themselves lying on Koyuki’s bed with Naoya on top of her, practically pinning her down. Koyuki’s eyes were as wide as saucers, racing every which way except for Naoya’s direction. Tears began to well up in her eyes.
Shit, Naoya cursed himself. He could tell that he’d crossed a line, and Koyuki was no longer ready—or in the mood—to receive an impromptu confession. He knew all of this, and yet he couldn’t stop the words from leaving his mouth. “Shirogane! I like you!”
For a long moment, time stopped within Koyuki’s room. There was complete silence.
Then, as the seconds crept by, Koyuki snapped back to her senses. “Eeeek!” she screamed, kicking Naoya off her and reaching for random objects to throw in his general direction.
Naoya was forced out of the room, and the door slammed shut behind him. The last thing he saw was Koyuki, sitting on her bed while crying with a beet red face.
Naoya collapsed on his back in the hallway and stared blankly up at the ceiling. Silence reigned.
After a moment, Sakuya arrived with Gizzard in her arms. Her face was as emotionless as ever, but her eyes held a glacial edge they didn’t normally display. “What did you do, Naoya?”
“It’s all my fault. I made a mistake,” he confessed gloomily.
“Mrow!” Gizzard growled. He leapt free of Sakuya’s grip and bestowed Naoya with a formidable scratch on his forehead.
No matter what anyone said, Koyuki refused to leave her room for the rest of the night. Naoya ended up having to leave without getting a chance to apologize.