Chapter 1: I Made a Female Friend

For an ordinary first-year high school boy, there are few things that truly matter.

Minato Toshiya thought as much.

Even the days leading up to the high school entrance exams, filled with tension and anxiety—once he passed, they didn’t seem like such a big deal anymore.

That sense of it’s not a big deal even made him laugh at himself: Why was I so worked up back then?

It’s a realization that only comes after passing, but even if he had failed, he could probably just try again.

Is it too much to say that “exams aren’t that important”?

In reality, for Minato the high school entrance exams were already a distant memory.

If there was anything Minato consistently cared about, it was his hobby of gaming.

And—“friends,” perhaps.

You won’t die if you don’t play games. If you lose a friend or two, you can always make new ones soon enough.

Even so, that doesn’t mean Minato didn’t value these things. Friends, in particular, were essential to life.

Friends—for Minato they came in two types.

Those he played games with, and those he didn’t.

Back in middle school, that was all there was—

But when he entered high school, a new type was added.

“Minato-kun, check this out!”

“Eh? Whoa, a Platinum Dragon? Hold on, how much did you spend?!”

“Hehe, I’m kinda scared of myself. Got it in just one ten-pull!”

“No way…!”

One day in the classroom—

Minato was staring at the phone screen being shown to him.

The screen displayed a mobile game—“Monster Friends.”

The game, nicknamed “Mon-Fri,” was set in a fantasy world, telling the story of a hero who defeats a demon king and lives a rural life with monsters—a so-called slow-life game.

Though they were monsters, their cute designs made the game popular among girls as well.

The game involved inviting monsters to live in the hero’s village, building houses, collecting furniture, farming, and constructing bridges, offering deep gameplay elements.

It was a hit across all demographics, from casual to hardcore players, regardless of age or gender.

“Heh heh heh, now I’ve got the full set of Platinum monsters!”

“I’ve never even seen someone pull a Platinum Dragon online…”

The person holding the phone was Kotone Azusa.

She was a female classmate Minato had met after starting high school.

She was a new friend—and the first female friend Minato had ever made.

Her brown, medium-length hair and average height were unremarkable.

Her chest was somewhat large, though not strikingly so.

Her face was the cute, slightly youthful type—or so she claimed.

Youthful or not, Minato did think she was “kinda cute.”

According to the boys in class, Azusa was “the fifth cutest in the class.”

Though such a label was rude, Minato had nodded in agreement when he heard it.

The reason Minato and Azusa became friends was simple: their seats were next to each other.

Incidentally, what brought them closer was Mon-Fri.

One day during a break, while Minato was playing Mon-Fri, Azusa leaned over and struck up a conversation.

“Whoa, Minato-kun, you play Mon-Fri too? Awesome, there’s some stuff I don’t get—”

Azusa wasn’t much of a gamer, but she happened to be hooked on Mon-Fri and asked Minato about the game.

Minato wasn’t an expert on Mon-Fri, but he knew enough to teach a beginner.

Now, more than half of their conversations revolved around Mon-Fri, and their relationship was built on playing the game together.

That was only natural.

Objectively speaking, Minato Toshiya wasn’t particularly outstanding.

Though he was relatively studious, his grades weren’t among the top in his year.

His athletic ability was average, and he’d never joined a club.

He was good at games, but becoming a pro gamer was out of the question.

Appearance-wise, he was of average build, maybe a bit on the slim side. No one had ever complimented his looks. In other words, neither good nor bad.

As for his personality—that wasn’t something he could judge himself.

Minato didn’t think he was a bad person, and he tried to be as kind as possible to others.

In fact, when spring rolled around, someone close to Minato had a small problem, and he went out of his way to help solve it.

But it wasn’t a big deal—anyone could’ve done it.

In short, Minato Toshiya, this high school boy, was thoroughly average in both personality and specs.

Minato wasn’t trying to put himself down, thinking he was just an ordinary guy.

But he believed he should know his place.

No, the old Minato hadn’t fully grasped his limits.

One summer day, about three months after starting high school—

By then, Azusa was already calling him “Toshiya.”

That fact undoubtedly gave Minato a push.

So, he made up his mind and confessed to Azusa.

Looking back, he might’ve gotten carried away because it was his first time making a female friend.

He thought, We get along so well, maybe I have a shot?

He’d casually asked around and learned that Azusa didn’t seem to have a boyfriend.

So, he mustered his courage and made his first-ever confession—

And it was a complete failure.

After school, on the way home, he confessed to Azusa, only to get an “Oh, um… I see…” in response.

She wasn’t a heartless demon, so she probably didn’t want to hurt him.

There was no clear answer, but Minato was thoroughly rejected.

The next day, she spoke to him as if nothing had happened.

Azusa was remarkably mature.

She didn’t tell anyone about the confession, as if it were only natural.

But—though it might sound selfish—Minato was still hurt.

Rather than her acting like nothing happened, he almost wished she’d mocked him.

He started finding it hard to talk to Azusa, and things quickly became awkward—

And then, Minato realized.

Even with someone labeled “fifth place,” he didn’t stand a chance.

That was the extent of who Minato was.

He should deeply reflect on daring to judge someone by a “fifth place” title.

He should just dive into the deep sea and never resurface.

The day he realized this, Minato deleted Mon-Fri from his phone.

He deleted the game that had led him to his first female friend.

Though it might sound selfish, that game now only brought him disgust; just seeing its icon made him feel sick.

Not only had Minato’s first confession failed, but he’d also lost his first female friend—

“Hey, Minato how long are you gonna sleep?”

“…?”

Hearing his name, Minato looked up to see a beautiful girl standing before him.

Her refined beauty was such that, let alone fifth place, she could easily be number one in the entire school.

“…Hazuki?”

“Yep, yep, it’s Hazuki Aoi. Aren’t you just too lucky to be woken up by someone like me?”

“…”

Minato slowly sat up.

It seemed he’d fallen asleep slumped over his desk in the classroom.

Glancing at the clock, it was almost 4 p.m.

“Crap… I really passed out.”

“You were probably up all night gaming again, right? One of those pew-pew-pew dangerous shooting games?”

“It’s not that dangerous. That game’s loved by kids and adults alike.”

But Hazuki was right—Minato had indeed stayed up late gaming.

The first-person shooter (FPS) Legendary Heroes—nicknamed Legend—was a free-to-play game that had taken the world by storm.

It was a cross-platform title, and Minato had gotten hooked on the PC version, now spending every night battling global players with his keyboard and mouse.

“Ranked matches are just too thrilling… I go crazy playing every night.”

“Jeez, don’t have so much fun in places I don’t know about~”

“Even if you say that, I can’t help it.”

When playing Legend, Minato usually joined random “pub” matches solo.

Though he had online acquaintances, he felt more comfortable playing alone.

“Playing games all day isn’t healthy. You’re hanging out with me today.”

“Where to?”

“Sporty’s. It’s been forever since we went.”

“Eh~ Seriously? I’m already sleep-deprived, and you want me to go there?”

Sporty’s was an indoor entertainment facility.

It offered activities like soccer, tennis, three-on-three basketball, skating, and trampolines.

“You’ll perk up once you move around. I’m not saying you can’t game, but you should exercise sometimes. Don’t you want to hang out with me?”

“…Fine.”

Under the direct gaze of Hazuki’s big eyes—

Minato stood up, seemingly reluctant, and grabbed his bag.

By then, Hazuki was already heading out of the classroom.

Minato hurriedly followed, rushing after her.

Hazuki Aoi was quite well-known at school.

Her hair, a light brown like milky tea, was long and straight.

Even with light makeup, her beauty retained a youthful charm.

Her shoulders and waist were slender, yet her chest was strikingly full, stretching the chest of her pink sweater taut.

Her breasts were practically melon-sized, bouncing with every slight movement.

Her dark green tie was slightly loosened, and her legs, visible beneath her checkered miniskirt, were long and shapely.

Rumor had it that among the first-year girls at Muromiya High, she was the most popular.

Hazuki was energetic, cheerful, and highly sociable, belonging to the top tier at school.

She had plenty of male and female friends, always surrounded by a crowd.

Hazuki Aoi and the utterly average Minato Toshiya were like beings from entirely different worlds—

“So~ what should we start with?”

“Eh? Oh, what’d you say?”

“Come on, listen to me~ Minato is your brain still asleep?”

“No, no, I’m awake.”

After arriving at Sporty’s, they stood at the counter, looking at the activity guide.

For some reason, the popular social butterfly Hazuki was hanging out alone with Minato.

It was genuinely strange.

So it was understandable that Minato occasionally got lost in his thoughts.

“Forget that for now. Hazuki, aren’t you hanging out with your friends today?”

“Friends? Aren’t you my friend?”

“…Well, yeah.”

Minato was often caught off guard by her casual remarks.

He recalled—

How his friendship with this adorable female friend had started so suddenly.

※

His relationship with Hazuki Aoi grew closer about three months after starting high school…

More precisely, it was shortly after he confessed to Kotone Azusa and was rejected.

It was also when he deleted Mon-Fri, resolved to know his place, and decided to live in the deep sea.

Incidentally, it was just after the first semester’s final exams.

Minato was relatively strong academically.

Not a top student, but comfortably above average.

At this high school, exam scores determined whether students had to take make-up tests.

Naturally, for Minato that was irrelevant.

But on the day the final exam papers were returned…

As Minato slung his beloved backpack over his shoulder, preparing to leave the classroom—

“Excuse me, Minato-kun, are you free today?”

The most popular first-year girl, Hazuki Aoi, approached him out of the blue.

“H-Hazuki-san…?”

Minato tilted his head, a bit confused.

Though he knew her full name because she stood out, he didn’t recall ever speaking to her.

The fact that Hazuki knew his name felt like a miracle.

Seeing Minato’s obvious bewilderment, Hazuki began to explain.

Her exam scores were abysmal, and she’d have to take make-up tests for most subjects.

If she didn’t pass the make-ups starting in three days, she’d have to attend summer remedial classes.

So, she wanted Minato to tutor her—that was the gist of it.

“Eh? But why me?”

“Aren’t you pretty good at studying, Minato-kun? We’re in the same class, so I know at least that much.”

“My grades aren’t bad, but they’re not amazing either… Seriously, why me?”

For Minato whose self-esteem had plummeted, Hazuki’s request was utterly unexpected.

Hazuki had tons of friends, some of whom surely had better grades than him.

He couldn’t fathom why she’d ask him.

“You’re hung up on the weirdest things. Hmm, if I had to say—”

Hazuki tilted her head slightly and said:

“I figured if it’s Minato-kun teaching me, even if I totally don’t get it, you wouldn’t give up on me, right?”

“Wouldn’t… give up?”

Even with such praise, Minato only grew more perplexed.

Part of it was because he’d just resolved to live knowing his place.

Tutoring someone, especially a top-tier social butterfly like Hazuki, was clearly beyond his league—

“Come on, pretty please♪”

Hazuki clasped her hands together, giving Minato an irresistibly pleading look.

In that moment, all the confusion and gloom clouding Minato’s mind vanished.

He thought to himself, Am I really this easy?

He even felt he was overstepping his bounds.

But on the other hand, he came up with an excuse—wouldn’t refusing someone as lofty as Hazuki also be a form of overstepping?

Those thoughts evaporated in an instant.

Hazuki’s “please” carried such devastating power—

“Sure.”

When he came to his senses, Minato had already agreed.

Strangely, he didn’t regret it one bit.

From that day, Minato began tutoring Hazuki Aoi at her request.

Every day after school, he gave her one-on-one lessons.

Hazuki’s grades were indeed poor, but she was fairly sharp.

As long as Minato taught her properly, she absorbed the material, and within days, her academic performance visibly improved.

“Awesome! It’s all thanks to you, Minato! Thank you!”

The day after the make-up tests, when the results were announced, Hazuki excitedly grabbed Minato’s hand.

Minato’s mind was so consumed by the softness of her hands that he barely registered the test results.

But seeing Hazuki so thrilled, he didn’t want to act weird, so he put on a cool facade.

Looking back now—Minato couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of wonder.

Though it was only a few days, the time he spent alone with Hazuki was full of surprises.

He’d assumed the unattainable social queen would look down on him, but now he found his own prejudices laughable.

More surprisingly, he realized he genuinely enjoyed studying with Hazuki.

But that time was soon to end.

Once Hazuki passed her make-up tests, she wouldn’t need Minato anymore—

“So, Minato I’m treating you to Starbucks today as thanks♡”

“Eh?”

Even though she no longer needed him, his time with Hazuki—miraculously—didn’t end.

Seriously, why?

Though Minato wondered this several times, it wasn’t a dream.

In fact, Hazuki really did take him to Starbucks—the café social butterflies frequented—and treated him to a drink with a name that sounded like a spell.

The situation was so unexpected that he couldn’t even taste the supposedly sweet drink.

From then on—

Hazuki started dragging Minato around for no particular reason.

Only the day she passed her make-up tests was her treat; after that, they split the bill.

“I don’t even have a part-time job. I’m seriously broke~ You don’t have one either, right, Minato?”

“I don’t spend much… Don’t you strike me as the type to splurge when you’re out, Hazuki-san?”

Minato had always thought social butterflies were the type to spend freely when having fun.

“Nope, I actually don’t go out much. Oh, and Minato you can just call me by my name, no ‘-san.’ It sounds weird otherwise.”

“O-Okay…”

Minato didn’t particularly mind.

Back when Hazuki asked him to tutor her, she’d only used “-kun” that one day.

She quickly dropped it naturally. At their school, calling people by their first names wasn’t uncommon, for boys or girls.

Minato had experience calling girls by their names too.

So, he naturally started calling her Hazuki.

Even so—Minato held no expectations.

He figured Hazuki’s attention was a passing whim and she’d soon lose interest.

After all, he was the type to sink into the deep sea.

“Summer break’s here~! Minato let’s have a blast!”

But things turned out completely differently than he’d expected.

Even during summer break, Hazuki kept dragging him around, even taking him to the pool and beach in true summer fashion.

Going to the pool or beach with guy friends was one thing, but this was his first time with a girl.

Hazuki’s friends were there too. Some of them, seeing Minato said things like, “Why’s this guy here?” or “Wait, who’s this?” but they quickly stopped caring.

Social butterflies don’t sweat the small stuff—as long as they’re having fun, it’s fine.

Hazuki’s friends saw her as their leader and respected her greatly.

Since Minato was brought by Hazuki, no one questioned his presence.

According to one of Hazuki’s friends—a tanned, gal-type girl named Mai Honami:

“Anyway~ Aoi’s been our boss since middle school. If Aoi brought him, no one’s gonna complain.”

With Hazuki as their leader, this social clique, though its members occasionally changed, had apparently been intact since middle school.

Without a doubt, they were the most prominent group among the first-year girls at Murogiya High.

The old Minato would’ve either avoided such a group or gotten overly cocky—

But the current Minato even when mingling with these strangers, didn’t hold high hopes.

He had no intention of joining their clique or secretly hoping to date one of these cute gal girls.

Because of that, he could interact with these outgoing types appropriately.

If he’d had lofty expectations, he might’ve gotten carried away and faced a catastrophic failure.

Minato really didn’t want another irreparable fallout over friendships.

Yet, the unexpected developments continued.

Even after summer break ended, his interactions with Hazuki didn’t stop.

“Ugh, Minato can you hang out with me today? There’s this magazine I really want, but I can’t find it online. I heard the bookstore by the station has it.”

“Sure… Wait, right now? What about the others?”

“Why would we need a crowd to go to a bookstore? Come on, it’ll sell out if we don’t hurry. Let’s run!”

“…”

Just like that.

By autumn, the two of them occasionally hung out alone.

There was no special reason—Minato and Hazuki just got used to doing things together after school or on weekends.

Well, there was a bit of a reason—

But even setting that aside, Minato was still puzzled.

Hanging out with Hazuki was genuinely fun.

How could it not be, with such a cute, cheerful, and witty girl?

But—why would someone as popular as Hazuki want to hang out with unremarkable Minato?

Once, he mustered the courage to ask.

“Hey, Hazuki, why do you keep hanging out with me every day?”

“What do you mean, why? It’s just—”

Hazuki seemed about to say something.

“It’s just because we’re friends, right?”

“…I see.”

Minato wondered why she’d hesitated at such a moment.

But on second thought, saying “we’re friends” outright could be a bit embarrassing.

Her slightly blush-inducing answer convinced him.

Ever since hearing that simple response, his time with Hazuki became even more enjoyable.

※

“Hey, hey, Minato are you listening?”

“Ah, no, I missed that.”

At the activity guide counter at Sporty’s—

Hazuki was squinting her big eyes, glaring at Minato.

For some reason, Minato had been lost in memories of his time with Hazuki.

It had only been about three months since she first spoke to him.

It seemed a bit early to be indulging in nostalgia.

Minato snapped back to reality and turned to Hazuki.

“Uh, what’d you say?”

“I said, what do you want to play? I’m thinking trampolines. I’ve been really craving trampolines since yesterday.”

“Is there really such a thing as a sudden urge to play on trampolines?”

“I’ve got it, okay? So, trampolines it is?”

“Sure, but aren’t you wearing a skirt, Hazuki? Go change into something else. They probably rent athletic clothes here, right?”

“Eh? Oh… It’s fine, isn’t it? I’m wearing safety shorts.”

Hazuki lifted her uniform miniskirt.

Her fair, beautiful thighs were revealed—

And she was indeed wearing safety shorts. But still…

“Don’t lift your skirt in a place like this!”

Hazuki’s safety shorts were as short as regular shorts, exposing the tops of her thighs.

They could almost be mistaken for underwear.

“Look, Minato in this day and age, no high school girl wears just underwear~”

“It’s not about wearing just underwear! Guys, you know, get flustered just seeing a skirt lifted.”

“Eh~ Even cool Minato-kun has naughty thoughts? That’s surprising.”

Hazuki grinned mischievously, nudging Minato’s side with her elbow.

“I’m not trying to act cool… Come on, let’s go.”

“Okay~”

The two walked through the facility’s hallway to the trampoline area.

Perhaps trampolines weren’t that popular, as no one else was there.

“What~ It’s the perfect chance to see a high school girl’s naughty side, and no one’s here?”

“That’s probably a good thing.”

“This way, Minato gets to monopolize my naughty side.”

“Stop saying ‘naughty’ already.”

Anyway, they took off their shoes and stepped onto the trampoline.

Even just bouncing up and down was surprisingly fun.

Jumping higher than usual and seeing a different view gave a fresh sensation.

“Hey… Hup!”

“Whoa!”

When Minato glanced to the side, he caught Hazuki performing a perfect backflip.

Her skirt fluttered, fully revealing the black safety shorts hugging her hips.

“Hey, hey, it says no backflips here!”

“Oh, really? No one’s around, so it’s fine, right?”

“That’s not the point!”

A backflip could lead to a broken neck—that’s a big deal.

Though Hazuki’s backflip was steady, as her friend, Minato couldn’t help but worry.

“I’m super confident in my athletic skills. Even tricky moves like that should be fine, right? Maybe a moonsault or something.”

“You even know moves like that? Please, no dangerous stunts.”

“Then be my practice partner~!”

“Whoa!”

Hazuki leaped, launching herself at Minato.

Her soft, prominent chest pressed firmly against his, and the light scent of her bright brown hair wafted over.

They tumbled onto the trampoline, bouncing back up.

“Tch, that was close… What’re you doing, Hazuki?!”

“Hahaha! Your face just now was hilarious, Minato~ Too bad I didn’t snap a pic!”

“As if I’d let you keep something like that!”

“Don’t be mad, don’t be mad. It’s just for fun!”

“Jeez…”

Since earlier, he’d been catching glimpses under her skirt, feeling her ample chest against him, and smelling her hair’s fragrance.

Minato’s heart was racing, but he didn’t let it show.

After all, Hazuki was just a friend.

After playing on the trampoline for a while, they moved on.

Next, at Hazuki’s suggestion, they decided to play table tennis.

“Yahoo~ Did you see that smash?!”

“Ugh…!”

Minato’s athletic ability wasn’t outstanding, but it wasn’t terrible either.

He’d played table tennis in middle school, but Hazuki was leagues better.

“You gotta aim for the sides! Ugh, you had a perfect chance for a smash—what’re you doing?!”

“Shut up, defense is the best offense!”

Minato was struggling just to return Hazuki’s shots.

Her attacks were indeed fierce—

“Hey~ Take this~!”

But her chest, swaying as she swung her paddle, was even more intense.

Swaying side to side, bouncing up and down with every smash.

What cup size is she even…?

It was a question that had crossed his mind countless times since they started playing.

“Come on, come on, return it~!”

“Ugh…!”

Hazuki’s smash went ping and hit Minato square in the face.

“Ah, sorry! You okay, Minato?”

“I’m fine, it’s just a ping-pong ball…”

It stung a bit, but Minato brushed it off.

“Anyway, even getting hit by your weak smash is less painful than a mosquito bite.”

“Oh, you’re talking big now…”

Hazuki returned Minato’s serve with a topspin—

“Whoa!”

The ball curved, ricocheted off the side of Minato’s paddle, and hit his face again.

“W-What was that?!”

“Just a regular sidespin. I’ve got killer moves like that.”

“Using weird tricks in casual table tennis…!”

“Hehehe, call it what you want. I used to play table tennis here at Sporty’s all the time and picked up a ton of skills.”

Hazuki swung her paddle lightly a few times, grinning.

“So, let’s keep going. One more point, and I win. I’m starving, so the loser’s treating to burgers.”

“Don’t spring that on me at match point!”

“Hahaha, sounds like a loser’s bark. Woof woof~”

“You’re the one barking, Hazuki. Hmph, a comeback now would be thrilling.”

“That’s the spirit, Minato.”

“Get ready, Hazuki!”

Despite his words, the outcome didn’t matter to Minato.

The view of her bouncing chest was worth the price of a burger.

Of course, he’d never say that out loud.

Minato kept returning Hazuki’s shots, dragging out the game to enjoy the spectacle.

In truth, he was starting to feel desires beyond mere curiosity toward Hazuki—

But he valued their friendship too much, pretending not to notice the natural flow of those feelings.

He hadn’t considered what consequences such an unnatural state might bring—

After having their fill of fun, Minato and Hazuki left Sporty’s.

They headed to the station and took a ten-minute train ride.

Stepping out of the station, they immediately saw a twelve-story apartment building.

The building’s name was “Stream Friends.”

They walked side by side into the lobby.

“Minato whose place today?”

“We went to yours yesterday, so my place today?”

“OK. I’ll check on Momo first.”

They stepped into the elevator, and Minato got off on the tenth floor.

Before the doors closed, Hazuki gave a small wave.

As it happened—Minato and Hazuki lived in the same apartment building.

Minato on the tenth floor, Hazuki on the twelfth.

For a while, they hadn’t even realized they were neighbors.

Minato had moved in during the spring after starting high school, while Hazuki had lived there for a year already.

They only discovered this a few days before summer break.

The day they went to the beach with classmates, they headed home in the same direction—

Not only that, but they went to the same station and ended up at the same building.

Since they usually parted ways after hanging out, they’d never noticed.

Minato often left early, while Hazuki stayed to chat or went elsewhere. Somehow, they’d never gone home together—

Hazuki had so much fun at the beach that day that she didn’t have the energy to wander off elsewhere, which is how they discovered this.

Though Minato was shocked—Hazuki was surprisingly calm.

“I have other friends who live nearby too. Since we go to the same high school, it’s not that weird for some people to live close by, right?”

—That’s how it was.

Even so, the odds of them living in the same apartment building couldn’t be that high, could they?

While it might not be a big deal to Hazuki—

Minato had a feeling that Hazuki’s presence was growing larger in his heart.

To feel nothing special about attending the same school, being in the same class, becoming friends, and living in the same apartment building was simply impossible.

That said, Minato still tried hard to restrain himself.

He reminded himself: Don’t think you’re special to Hazuki.

The school thing, the apartment thing—it was all just coincidence—

“Now we can hang out even after going home. Awesome.”

Minato was doing his best to hold back, but Hazuki’s words, which could easily be misinterpreted, left him utterly flustered.

And so it went. After summer break ended, summer passed, and autumn gradually arrived—

Even when they went out with friends, it always ended up being just the two of them.

For some reason, Hazuki’s trips elsewhere drastically decreased, and Minato found himself frequently going home with her.

This routine continued, and now it was no longer unusual for Minato and Hazuki to hang out after school.

“Seriously, how did things end up like this…?”

Minato muttered to himself as he opened his apartment door.

He still couldn’t believe he got to hang out with Hazuki every day.

Whenever he parted ways with her, he’d snap back to reality.

But since this had become a daily routine, he couldn’t indulge in sentiment every time.

Minato stepped into the entryway and headed to his room.

He lived with his father.

The apartment had a two-bedroom layout, spacious and modern, making it very comfortable.

Minato’s mother had passed away when he was young.

Though his father wasn’t great at housework, he did his best. Now that Minato was in high school and could handle basic chores himself, he had no complaints about their lifestyle.

They’d moved here because their previous apartment was too small. This new place was clean and flawless, with nothing to nitpick.

Minato entered his room and changed out of his uniform into a comfy T-shirt and shorts.

Though it was autumn, it wasn’t cold indoors in this outfit.

His room had a desk, bed, bookshelf, and an LCD monitor.

There was a closet too, but since he wasn’t into fashion, he had few clothes, and it was mostly used for storage.

In front of the monitor was a small desk with a wireless mouse and keyboard.

The keyboard was the kind that glowed red—a so-called gaming keyboard.

The mouse, naturally, was a multi-button gaming model.

He connected his laptop to the 24-inch monitor for a larger display.

Minato sat at the desk, moved the mouse to wake the laptop from sleep mode, and started casually browsing the internet.

“Hey~ I’m here~!”

The sound of the door opening was followed by a commotion.

Since the front door was unlocked, Hazuki had let herself in.

This was Minato Toshiya’s after-school life.

A blissful daily routine with an adorable female friend.