“Mizuki-kun… What did Himura-san mean when she mentioned curry?” 

After Himura Ririka had left, Kaminari Nene asked Mizuki, doing her best to act like she didn’t care.

“Huh? Oh, she invited me out to eat once before. But since we hadn’t decided on a place, I invited her over to my house instead.”

“I see…”

Her voice dropped.

Noticing the change, Mizuki hurriedly added clarification.

“Uh, it’s not like I invited just Himura-san. Kurosaki-san and the other three were there too. It was really just me cooking a meal.”

“Got it.”

Nene stopped walking and looked straight at Mizuki.

“…I want to go too.”

Mizuki looked a little surprised.

Sensing she might be turned down, Nene felt her body stiffen.

“Right now?”

“Yeah.”

A brief pause, as if he were thinking it over.

Then Mizuki gave her a gentle smile, as though to melt away Nene’s anxiety.

“Then let’s eat together today.”

“R-really? Yay!”

She couldn’t help but bounce with joy.

In the meantime, Rei brought the car around from the parking lot.

“Rei-san, we’re going to eat together, so let Nene-chan ride with us too.”

“…Understood.”

Nene didn’t miss the way Rei’s expression stiffened for just a moment.

Still, she knew that an aide had no authority to refuse.

She gave a small bow and got into the car.

It was the first time she’d been in it since April’s gene donation. 

Remembering what had happened back then, she felt her body grow warm.

“I wonder what your place is like, Mizuki-kun. Can I see your room too?”

“Hmm, there’s nothing special about it, but Rei-san always keeps things in order, so it’s probably cleaner than most.”

“……”

An aide was a special kind of position.

In past Japan, because male children were rare, biological mothers often used their sons as leverage to wield influence and power in their local regions.

To eliminate that and consolidate the power structure under the National Party, aides became a kind of surrogate family for men.

Though easily replaced depending on compatibility with the man, an aide could also become a special maternal figure if things went well.

And Mikado Rei appeared to be fully acknowledged as family.

“Mikado-san has that ‘cool professional’ vibe, doesn’t she?”

To maintain good relations with Mizuki, Nene needed to be on friendly terms with Mikado Rei too.

Smiling warmly as she praised her, Nene saw Rei bow her head slightly in the rearview mirror.

Noticing that Rei had no intention of continuing the conversation, Nene decided to turn her attention back to Mizuki.

“Mizuki-kun, are you tired? Um… sorry for bringing this up so suddenly.”

“No. I was looking for a chance to talk with you properly too, Nene-chan.”

“R-really?”

In the dimly lit car, she could feel her face growing warm.

The thought of May’s gene donation surfaced in her mind.

There was more than enough chance that she might be chosen two times in a row.

“Um… can I hold your hand?”

Instead of replying, he clasped her hand.

Unlike a girl’s hand, it was a little bony.

That alone made her acutely aware that he was a man.

“Ehehe…” 

Relieved that she hadn’t been rejected, she leaned closer.

Mizuki’s handsome face was right there, only inches away.

He smelled nice, like soap.

“Mizuki-kun…” 

It felt like the mood was just right.

Nene quietly waited for the moment.

If the topic of May’s gene donation was going to come up, it had to be now.

Streetlights periodically illuminated the car’s interior while the soothing vibration lulled her into drowsiness. 

The warmth transmitted through their joined hands felt warmer than anything else in the world.

Just intertwining their fingers together and rubbing them lightly was enough to make her feel strange. 

“If it’s too heavy, let me know.”

She gently rested her head on Mizuki’s shoulder.

The tip of her nose brushed against his soft hair.

She found herself wishing this moment would last forever.

But she was quickly pulled back to reality by Rei’s cold voice.

“We’ve arrived.” 

Startled, she sat up quickly. 

It looked like they’d stopped in front of the entrance, not the parking lot.

“Alright, let’s go in first.”

Mizuki unfastened his seatbelt and stepped out of the car.

Nene hurriedly followed after him.

“Whoa… there’s even a security guard here…”

She’d never been inside an apartment complex meant for second-class citizens before.

She was glancing around restlessly as they approached the room.

“Go ahead.”

“E-excuse me…”

Mizuki unlocked the door and gestured for Nene to go in first.

She stepped inside timidly, and her eyes were immediately drawn to the entryway and hallway, neatly organized like a model room.

“Wow, it’s so clean.”

“Nene-chan, is there anything you don’t like?”

As soon as they entered the living room, Mizuki headed straight for the kitchen.

“I-I can eat anything! That’s my only redeeming quality!”

She was happy that her best attempt at a joke made Mizuki laugh.

While that was happening, Mikado Rei, who had finished returning the car to the parking lot, came in and stood in the corner of the living room, watching as if on guard.

Nene sat on the sofa, fidgeting while watching Mizuki’s back. 

“D-do you want some help?”

“No, it’s fine. Just wait a bit, okay?”

It was a peaceful moment.

Being invited into a boy’s home—one of the situations she’d always hoped for.

And yet, her mind was filled with a single thought.

(I wonder if he’ll bring up the gene donation soon…)

◇◆◇ 

“Thank you for the meal!”

“You’re welcome. It wasn’t anything special, though.”

By the time they finished eating, it was already fairly late.

For Nene, getting to eat a man’s home-cooked meal had been one of her dreams, and it had unquestionably been a fulfilling time.

Yet one thing remained on her mind. 

(W-what about the gene donation…?)

There had been plenty of good opportunities to bring it up.

There was even a moment when Mikado Rei had stepped away to use the restroom.

And yet, not once had the topic of gene donation come up.

“How are you getting home? It’d probably be better to have Rei-san take you, right?”

“Uh, um—”

“Yes. I will take responsibility for escorting her home.”

Rei slipped into her suit jacket and briskly began getting ready to leave.

Though she’d seemed expressionless earlier, she somehow looked pleased now.

Nene’s thoughts began to spiral.

This is bad. I’m going to be sent home. At this rate, I won’t even get a promise.

And so, Nene blurted out something she would normally never have said.

“I-I want to stay over!”

◇◆◇ 

And before she knew it, Nene found herself sitting on the edge of the bed.

“I-I guess a boy’s room is more normal than I expected.”

She hated herself for not being able to come up with anything more thoughtful to say.

Mizuki, who had sat down right beside her, let out a small laugh.

“What were you imagining?”

“Um… something more… amazing, I guess.” 

Her thoughts had been spinning nonstop.

She even felt a little dizzy.

“I’m not sure what to do. Do you want to watch a movie until it’s time to sleep?”

“I’m… fine with anything.”

She leaned against him, seeking comfort.

Right now, she just wanted to be close.

She didn’t feel like she could focus on anything else.

“…I’ll go take a bath and get changed.”

As if he’d sensed what Nene was hoping for, Mizuki stood up.

The warmth of his skin slipped away, and a sudden loneliness washed over her.

“Ah…”

“I’ll be right back, so just wait a bit, okay?”

“…Un.”

She watched Mizuki’s retreating figure closely as he left the room.

Once the door closed and she was alone, anxiety rushed in all at once.

(In the end, he never brought up the gene donation…)

She flopped onto the bed and let out a breath.

(Maybe he’s planning to ask another girl…)

She didn’t have the courage to ask him directly.

A small groan slipped out of her.

As she rolled around restlessly on the bed, she suddenly caught Mizuki’s scent on the sheets and froze.

Sniff, sniff.

The familiar smell of soap.

“……”

She burrowed into the bed and took a deep breath.

But mixed in with the familiar scent was one she didn’t recognize.

Her thoughts rapidly cooled.

“…This is the worst.”

Her voice came out lower than she’d expected.

She stood up and pulled a deodorant spray from her bag.

And she sprayed it over the bed again and again, then stood there, watching as it slowly soaked in.