"Wait... Is someone out there?" Ayumi said from behind the door.
"Y-Yes... It's me, Keita." Keita said.
"... Come in." Ayumi said after some rummaging noises heard from her room.
"Wait what happened to you?" Ayumi sounded concern as she saw Keita walking in with a headache.
"You said Kei-kun... It sounded familiar, so my head hurts..." Keita said.
"I didn't say anything like that, it's not like I know you that far back." Ayumi denied.
"Guess I was mistaken then, I'm sorry for barging in." Keita settled down.
"So what business do you have here?" Ayumi asked.
"I've noticed that you always go back to your room around this time. Is there some reason behind it?" Keita asked.
"Uh... I need to sleep?" Ayumi made a bad excuse.
"I don't think so... I've seen you being online on RAINE pretty late every day." Keita rebutted.
"Ugh... Why do you have to be so sharp here..." Ayumi sulked.
"Hey... Can you stay here with me for a while?" Ayumi asked.
"I see... I think I can do that." Keita accepted. Keita has never spent time with a girl in her own room, except with Kanade. But the situation is very different with Kanade, it makes Keita nervous.
"On a second thought, I think you should go back now." Ayumi changed her mind.
"You're right." As Keita walks to the door, Ayumi embraced Keita from the back.
"Huh?! H-Hey!" Keita is very nervous.
"Just a while, okay...?" Ayumi said in a coy. Keita felt something soft is pressing against his back.
"Is this girl trying to kill me...?" Keita thought to himself. It took a while until Ayumi started snoring.
"What the... Sigh... I guess I should put her to bed." Keita said.
"On closer inspection... She feels so fragile despite her usual behaviour..." Keita thought to himself after seeing her other side. It seems like she found some comfort from doing so, that she could fall asleep like that.
"You're so vulnerable..." Keita muttered. He covered her with a blanket, and quietly left the room.
"Did Ayumi let you up here?" Mikoto asked, she was standing at the staircase, looking at Keita sternly.
"No... I was curious of something so I came up to check up on her." Keita said.
"She must return to her room at this hour. I apologize for not making this clear. Please do not do this again. Your friends are already wondering where you went." Mikoto said.
"I see, I'm sorry for intruding. I'll head back now." Keita said.
"No, that is not what I meant!" Mikoto said.
"Huh? What are you talking about now?" Keita looked back as he was walking down the stairs.
"I... I hope you can continue taking care of my daughter. She's feeble, that is why she cannot make any friends back then. That is why she is happy to have met you. Please, take good care of my daughter." Mikoto pleaded.
"I get it, I get it already, please stand up!" Keita is surprised of Mikoto's sudden change of demeanour.
"I see... I'm sorry for acting like this. I should probably go back to work." Mikoto walked down the stairs with a gloomy look on her face. Something must have happened, Keita thought to himself. Looking back a while ago, Mikoto mentioned that Ayumi is feeble, does that mean she's sick or something? Why is she not showing any symptoms? Unless...
"Keita!" Itsuki spotted Keita walking down the stairs.
"What are you doing up there? Isn't that Ayumi-chan's room?" Kanade asked.
"Ah, she asked for something just now, so I lent her a hand." Keita said.
"Something smells fishy here, or rather fragrant." Itsuki pointed out that there is a faint smell from Keita's back.
"This smells exactly like Ayumi-chan!" Itsuki said.
"Eww gross, are you a pervert or something?" Kanade asked.
"Huh?! Why am I the one being judged right now?!" Itsuki exclaimed.
"Anyways, now you're here, we should get going as well." Kaoru said. The party ended as they went on their respective ways back home.
"I'll see you on next Monday." Mio said to Kanade and Keita.
"Okay! Let's go home, Kei-kun!" Kanade said as she slaps Keita's back.
"Ow, that hurts!" Keita said. The two of them walks home, leaving Mio looking at them as they walked into the distance.
"Oh, you... You're still here?" Mikoto came out of the shop, spotting Mio standing there alone.
"Ah, I'm sorry I should leave now." Mio apologized as she leave.
"Ah no, it's fine! You can take your time!" Mikoto said.
"Thank you." Mio bowed as she runs off.
"These kids... I wonder why did Ayumi want to keep that as a secret." Mikoto mumbled to herself as walks back into her cafe.
On the way home, Kanade fidgets as she walks. Noticing the oddity, Keita asked.
"What's with that, you're not feeling well?" Keita asked.
"Kei-kun, where did you go just now?" Kanade asked.
"Huh? Where did this come from?" Keita asked.
"Avoiding questions huh, that means you're hiding something, Kei-kun." Kanade became serious.
"Wait! I'll explain!" Keita concedes.
"Good, now let big sis hear you out." Kanade said.
"I did went up to her room... And talked with her for a bit before Mikoto-san called me out." Keita said.
"That doesn't seem like you're being honest..." Kanade suspects.
"I swear I'm telling the truth!" Keita said.
"Hmm... It's not like I'll get anything from you like this anyways. Let's go home." Kanade said as she starts walking faster.
"Pulling a mature act after teasing me so hard like that? That's Kana-nee for you." Keita murmurs and then followed Kanade on the way home.
Meanwhile, Ayumi got up from pretending to sleep to her maximum awkwardness position.
"EEEEHHHHHH?! What did I do?! What did he meant by that?! Did I touch him too much?!" Ayumi screamed internally.
"Maybe I just... I want to ask him about that... But... Why is he like this if he refused to come that day...?" Ayumi ponders.