Time, that relentless force, always takes away what it is meant to take—never early, never late.

On the way home, Satsura Sakura from Sakurakoji was cheerfully eating, and casually tossed her school bag to the boy beside her.

Tsukiyomi Jinguuji silently carried both school bags. As they passed the bookstore, he stopped, recalling that his favorite author’s new work was released this week.

“Stay here and don’t wander around, I’m going to buy a book.”

“Oh, is it the novel written by that person named Kazu? You really haven’t grown up, Tsuki—still reading picture books at your age, pfft pfft~~”

“Annoying.”

Just as Jinguuji Tsukiyomi was about to step inside, the girl behind him followed after.

“Don’t go in.”

“Huh?! Wait—are you actually not buying a novel, but something more... risqué?!”

“Are you stupid? It’s not like that.” Tsukiyomi gestured at the snack in her hand, then pointed at the bookstore sign. “Don’t bring food into the bookstore.”

“Ohhh, I see.” The girl’s face was suddenly enlightened.

Thus, the boy entered the store alone, and Satsura Sakura could only puff her cheeks and stand at the entrance, munching on the snack she’d bought at the station like a hamster stuffing its cheeks.

Standing before the light novel display, he began searching for his target.

“Hmm, where is it… Oh, found it—Professor Hotsuka’s new book, ‘Call Me Good Wait’.”

Tsukiyomi took a light novel from the shelf, his thumb flipping through the pages. The slightly rough, thin paper of the small-format edition rustled, and a pungent ink scent hit him.

After paying at the counter, he slipped the book into his bag and exited the store.

But outside, the girl was nowhere to be seen, even though he’d told her not to move.

“Hey, Sakura…” Tsukiyomi called out.

“Over here, over here.”

Following the sound, Tsukiyomi found the girl crouched at a corner, her brown loafers pressed tightly together, arms hugging her knees. Her beautiful short hair was tied into a small ponytail on one side, making one want to reach out and play with it.

“What are you looking at?” Tsukiyomi bent down.

“Ants.”

“Huh?”

“Aren’t ants amazing? How do they line up so perfectly? Who taught them?” The girl raised her head to look at Tsukiyomi.

Beside her, the boy’s features were handsome and clear, his star-like eyes bright, lips red and teeth white. The September autumn breeze softened for his face, just as the petals of April seemed more fragrant for him. Even the sunlight grew warmer in his presence.

All in all, he was the kind of beautiful boy found in girls’ comics, the one the heroine admires but cannot attain, his brows faintly melancholic, with an air of otherworldly detachment.

Such a boy was her childhood friend. Satsura Sakura once thought she was the one who understood him best in the world.

“Meaningless,” Tsukiyomi turned away disinterested.

“Honestly, Tsuki, your brain’s no good at all. I won’t talk to you anymore!” The girl hurried after him.

“I’m the top student in our grade, you know.”

“—Kuu!”

Seeing Sakura’s defeated expression, Tsukiyomi smiled quietly, no longer teasing her.

“Let’s go home.”

“Ugh… You used to be such an idiot copying my homework. I can’t accept this.” Sakura walked beside Tsukiyomi, dejected.

“That was ages ago.”

“Fourth grade.”

Back then, Tsukiyomi was just a brat with no awakened system, nor any photographic memory.

“I mean, don’t bring up things from so long ago.”

Sakura paused at his words, then scratched her head with a silly grin, softly agreeing, “You’re right, there’s no point dwelling on the past.”

…

He handed the bag back to Sakura, and they said goodbye before entering their respective homes.

In the living room, Cocoro heard the commotion and walked with graceful, lazy steps, casting a distant glance at Tsukiyomi, who was taking off his shoes, then sauntered away.

His father was on a business trip in Europe, and his mother hadn’t returned from work yet. At this hour, Tsukiyomi was usually alone at home.

“Meow~”

Oh right, except for Cocoro.

Entering the living room, Tsukiyomi went first to the side room where the shrine was kept, lit incense, struck the bronze bell, pressed his palms together, and murmured a few words.

He went upstairs to his room, tossed his bag onto the chair, and lay down on the bed, reflecting on the day at school.

After about ten minutes, the doorbell rang downstairs. He opened the door to find Sakura, whom he’d just parted from.

“What’s wrong?” Tsukiyomi asked.

“My bag.”

“Huh?”

Sakura threw the bag she was hugging at Tsukiyomi. “You grabbed the wrong one, give me mine back.”

“Oh? Sorry, I didn’t look closely.”

Tsukiyomi scratched his head and turned to go inside.

“My bag’s upstairs. Want to come in and wait?”

“Sure, sorry to intrude.”

Tsukiyomi headed upstairs, while Sakura quickly ran to Cocoro’s side and snuggled up to her.

Back in his room, Tsukiyomi glanced at the school bag on the chair. Since all the school-issued bags looked alike, they were hard to tell apart.

Staring closely, he noticed the gym clothes under the zipper.

“Ah, it really is yours.”

He was about to bring it downstairs when a light voice sounded behind him.

“You didn’t do anything weird to my gym clothes, did you?”

Tsukiyomi looked back at her, expression calm.

“You just wanted to say that, didn’t you?”

“Oh? You guessed it so easily.” Sakura stuck out her tongue.

Tsukiyomi shook his head and handed her the school bag.

The girl did not hurry downstairs, but stood at the bedroom door, glanced at the tightly drawn curtains, and asked, “Can I come into your room?”

“Mm.”

She sat down on Tsukiyomi’s bed, apparently not intending to leave right away.

Tsukiyomi didn’t mind, and took out the freshly purchased light novel from his own bag, sitting at the desk to read quietly.

Sakura, unusually silent, did not speak to him. The only sound in the room was the rustle of Tsukiyomi flipping pages.

Bored, the girl changed positions, sprawling carelessly across his bed.

Out of a sense of girlish modesty, she smoothed her skirt for show, then stole a glance at the boy at the desk, making sure he wasn’t peeking under her skirt, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Her legs kicked up high, swinging back and forth, the tanned muscles bunching together like cotton candy gently toasted by fire.

Under Tsukiyomi’s pillow, she found a book. Expecting something illicit, she discovered it was “Norwegian Wood,” which she never read.

She flipped through it absent-mindedly, opening to the middle, and happened upon a passage rather intense for high schoolers. Blushing, she closed the book and shot Tsukiyomi a furious look.

“Tsuki, you pervert!”

“Huh?”

Tsukiyomi was bewildered.

Suddenly, Sakura snapped “Norwegian Wood” shut, thought for a moment, then reopened to a less provocative page. She used it to cover the lower half of her face, inhaling the scent of ink, leaving only her lively amber eyes peeking over, quietly observing the boy beside her.

“Hey, Tsuki,” came her gentle voice.

“What is it?”

“Did you really break up with the student council president?”

“I already told you, didn’t I?”

“Oh, right.”

Sensing something odd in her tone, Tsukiyomi glanced at her.

He couldn’t fathom why the conversation had suddenly jumped to Hoshino Morisei.

Her fingers played with the side ponytail, her gaze flickering. “That person’s a real beauty, right? With excellent grades, supposedly a great personality, really capable, and a well-off family. Why break up with someone like that?”

“I told you, our personalities didn’t match.”

“Really?”

Tsukiyomi stopped flipping pages, set the book on the desk, his slender fingers smoothing the corner. The feel of the paper passing under his thumb somehow calmed his mood.

“Sakura, you never used to care so much about my affairs.”

“I’m just curious.”

“Curious about the student council president?”

She nodded.

“So what about you?”

“Me?”

“How’s it going with your boyfriend?”

“Well… I guess it’s going well.” Sakura huffed with pride.

“You’re practically glowing with smugness!”

“My guy isn’t a playboy like Tsuki.”

“Yes, yes, may you live happily ever after.”

“Your perfunctory tone really gets on my nerves.”

She flaunted her happiness for no reason, but at least the topic was successfully changed, and Sakura seemed not to press further. The boy picked up his book and resumed reading.

“Hey, Tsuki…”

Suddenly, Sakura’s tone changed. For someone so carefree, it was rare for her to have such an expression.

Maybe Tsukiyomi’s breakup with the student council president made her recall what happened three years ago.

Just as Sakura gazed at him, wanting to say something, his mother’s voice called from downstairs.

“Tsuki, is Sakura here?”

Sakura’s words were left unsaid. She simply stared at Tsukiyomi, then broke into a slight smile, returning to her usual boisterous tone as she hopped off the bed.

She flung open the door and dashed downstairs, shouting as she ran:

“Aunt Yuko! Tsuki’s got spicy novels in his room!”

Tsukiyomi: “……”