After that eventful day, the rain had finally started to weaken, and I slowly woke up in my bed, checking the time. "5:00 AM." I realized that I had slept much earlier than my usual bedtime.
Usually, I go to bed around 12 AM or 2 AM, but the heavy rain and the company of those three girls kept me away from my computer. Instead, I spent the day fiddling with my phone and eventually dozed off.
Feeling refreshed, I decided to take a fresh, warm shower to prepare myself for school.
As I finished my shower and got dressed, I headed downstairs to the kitchen, where Nazuna was already preparing breakfast.
"Morning, Nazuna. Thanks for making breakfast,"
"No problem. You looked like you needed the extra rest," she said handing me a plate of scrambled eggs and toast.
"Yeah, the rain kept me from streaming, so I ended up sleeping early," I said as I took a seat at the table.
"Where's the three girls?" I asked curiously.
"Oh? Them? They already left. I saw a note on the table. Why don't you check it out?" Nazuna replied.
"I see, I'll do that after I finish this," I said, taking a big bite of the toast she had prepared. As always, Nazuna was good at cooking.
"You know, you'll make a good wife someday," I teased with a grin.
Nazuna turned to me, glaring playfully. "If you have time for jokes, finish up your breakfast and get out of here!"
"Ahahaha~ I was just kidding!" I laughed.
"Tch, you're hopeless," she said, rolling her eyes but still smiling.
After finishing breakfast, I quickly checked the note that Nao, Tsukasa, and Yuki had left. "Thanks for having us over, Niimi-kun! It was so much fun hanging out with you. Let's do it again sometime! -Nao, Tsukasa, and Yuki."
As I was about to head out to school, Nazuna called out to me. "Hey, Onii-chan."
I turned to her. "Yeah?"
"Don't forget to call mom today, okay?"
I nodded. "I will, don't worry. Thanks for always looking out for me."
Nazuna blushed slightly but quickly hid it. "Y-You're my brother, of course, I'll look out for you."
I grinned teasingly. "You're a good sister, Nazuna."
Her cheeks flushed, and she glared at me playfully. "Oh, shut up! Just go already!"
Laughing, I waved goodbye to Nazuna and headed to school. When I arrived in my classroom, Sakura was the first one to greet me with a bright smile.
"Kousei-kun~ Good morning," she said cheerfully.
"Sakura-san," I replied, giving a polite bow.
She chuckled. "The storm yesterday was intense, wasn't it? I couldn't get to see Kou-kun's stream."
"Ahahaha... well, you know how it is."
I noticed that Aoi and Yui weren't in their seats yet. "They're not here yet?"
"Ahh... those two? I think Aoi-chan is still asleep at this time, and Yui is probably going to be absent due to her... marriage stuff."
"Marriage stuff?"
"Yeah, yeah. After all, Yui-chan's family is rich, and since they're politicians, rich families want to marry their sons to her... You know how it is."
"So it's like one of those forced marriages, huh..."
"Yep, yep~" Sakura replied with a knowing nod.
I couldn't help but feel bad for Yui, knowing that she was probably going through a lot of pressure and expectations from her family.
Forced marriages were a common occurrence among wealthy and powerful families, and it was often seen as a way to secure their family's social status and influence.
I get to my seat and sit down. I notice Sakura walking towards me, and to my surprise, she grabs a chair and puts it in front of my seat, then sits down with a soft smile, looking directly at me.
I raise an eyebrow, feeling a bit flustered. "W-What is it..."
"Hehe, Nothing~" she teases, her smile growing wider.
"Eh? What do you mean?"
She leans in a bit closer, playfully tilting her head. "Oh, I was just thinking about how cute you looked this morning, Kousei-kun."
My cheeks turn even redder, and I stammer, "W-What? Come on, stop teasing."
Sakura giggles, thoroughly enjoying my flustered reaction. "But it's true! You have this adorable expression when you're half-asleep, plus you still have your bed head."
"Eh?!" I quickly reach up to fix my hair, but before I can do anything, Sakura gently combs my hair.
"W-Wait, Sakura-san, you don't have to do that."
"Oh, it's no problem at all," she says with a playful smile, continuing to comb my hair with a gentle touch. "Consider it a little morning grooming service."
As she combs my hair, she starts a conversation. "You know, I've noticed that you and Aoi-chan are getting along quite well."
"W-Well... It's what friends do,"
"That's not what I meant," Sakura says as her smile turning mischievous.
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"Oh, come on, Kousei-kun," she teases, leaning in closer. "I'm not blind, you know. I can see how close you two have become lately."
I nervously chuckle feeling my cheeks redden. "I-I guess we have been spending more time together."
Sakura giggles, enjoying my embarrassment. "It's cute, you know? The way you two interact, it's like you're always in your own little world."
"Is it that obvious?" I mumble, trying to hide my face behind my hands.
She pats my shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, it's sweet. It's nice to see you two getting along so well... But you see." She leans in even closer and whispers softly. "I'm... a bit... jealous."
My eyes widen in surprise as she finishes fixing my bedhead, and then she playfully ruffles my hair one last time, making me look even messier. "There, all done! You look even cuter now."
Sakura's teasing catches me off guard, and I can't help but feel my heart race. I didn't expect her to say that she was jealous. Is she serious, or is she just teasing me again? I can't tell.
After finishing fixing my hair, Sakura grabs the chair and puts it back at her desk before heading back to her own seat. As she walks past me, I can't help but steal a few glances at her. However, she catches me looking and shoots me a mischievous smirk.
She's definitely teasing me... and it's gonna be bad for my heart