What Irimi-san just said...
Could she be talking about Byakuya?!
Touka felt almost certain it had to be Byakuya—especially since Irimi had emphasized that it "might make her unhappy"...
The shock on Touka's face deepened.
Irimi-san actually thinks of Byakuya that way...
When she thought about it carefully, it wasn't that strange. But because it was Irimi, Touka still found it surprising.
"..."
Touka's lips parted slightly, wanting to speak but hesitating.
She'd been about to ask Irimi to confirm whether she meant Byakuya, but after a moment's hesitation, she held back.
After all, it was basically certain to be him.
Not asking might be better. Asking could lead to even more unexpected developments...
Sensing the obvious awkwardness in the air, Irimi quickly changed the subject. "Touka-chan, when you suddenly asked me about that earlier, don't tell me you're thinking about doing that with Byakuya...?"
"Ah..."
Touka snapped back to reality, hesitated briefly, then nodded. "Yes..."
"No wonder... Touka-chan is so adorable. That would certainly give you an advantage."
Irimi agreed that Touka's thinking was quite practical.
Though such things might be a bit early for Touka, since she'd clearly thought it through, there wasn't much more to say.
Little did they know, someone had already seized that advantage.
Neither Irimi nor Touka were aware of this yet.
"Although I don't have any experience in that area, you can always ask me if you have questions."
Irimi smiled.
"Thank you, Irimi-san."
Touka nodded.
Though she hadn't gained any practical advice this time, she'd inadvertently learned how Irimi felt about Byakuya.
Now she knew Irimi was also a potential "rival"...
...
The entire day passed without Byakuya visiting the shop.
Touka didn't want to wait any longer. Taking advantage of dinnertime, she called him directly.
She hadn't called during the day for fear of interrupting his work.
"Hello?"
As soon as Touka dialed, Byakuya picked up quickly.
"Hello, it's Touka Kirishima."
"Touka? What's the occasion for the sudden call?"
"Are you off work yet?"
"Mm, just got off. About to head home."
"You probably haven't had dinner yet, right?"
"That's right."
"Then... how about coming to my place for dinner tonight?"
Touka used this as her excuse to invite Byakuya over.
"Sure. Did you develop some new recipes?"
Byakuya didn't read anything complicated into it, instinctively assuming Touka wanted him to sample her cooking.
After all, this was the first time Touka had ever invited him to her home. He had no reason to suspect anything else.
"Mm... something like that."
Touka felt slightly guilty.
She'd lied to get Byakuya to come over...
Though she did plan to prepare dinner for him—her real goal just wasn't the dinner itself.
"Alright, I'll head over soon then."
"Don't come too quickly—I haven't prepared dinner yet. And don't use that teleportation ability of yours."
Touka made sure to emphasize this.
"Got it. I'll come by a bit later then."
With that, their call ended.
Meanwhile, the café had already closed for the night.
Touka immediately grabbed her bag and rushed home.
Seeing her hurry off like that, Koma—still tidying up the dishes—wondered aloud, "What's Touka in such a rush for? Did something happen?"
"That's a girl's private business. Don't worry about it."
Irimi spoke evenly.
She didn't need to think to know Touka's urgency was because of Byakuya.
"...I don't really get it."
Koma scratched his head and thought no more of it.
Only Yoshimura remained silent, a gentle smile never leaving his face.
...
The moment Touka got home, she started preparing dinner.
Checking the fridge, she was relieved to find plenty of ingredients. Good thing she'd gone shopping today.
She began making her best dishes—she absolutely had to let Byakuya taste her finest cooking.
Less than half an hour later, the final dish was ready to be plated.
That's when Touka called Byakuya.
"Dinner's almost ready. When are you coming?"
"I'm on my way now."
The moment those words left his mouth, Byakuya used Kamui to teleport directly into Touka's apartment.
And because Kamui blocked signals, the call cut off instantly.
Hearing movement outside the kitchen, Touka knew Byakuya had arrived.
She carried out the last dish just as he appeared.
"Sorry to trouble you—preparing dinner specially for me."
Byakuya spoke up immediately.
"It's no trouble. Come on, eat while it's hot."
Touka appeared calm on the surface, but inside she was nervous and excited.
"By the way, are Kirishima-san and Ayato not home?"
Not seeing Arata or Ayato, Byakuya asked.
"No, they don't live with me. I'm renting a single-person apartment."
Touka explained.
"Oh, I see..."
Byakuya nodded slightly.
Then it suddenly hit him...
Doesn't this mean it's just the two of us alone together?
...
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