I Just Want a Single Ending [66] [30 PS]

Bonus Chapter!

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"Sounds good."

Kamigawa agreed with Kita's plan. He could imagine how thrilled Gotoh Hitori would be to receive such a thoughtful gift, which might just give her the extra motivation for their training.

"Then I'll drop by the café at the same time as yesterday," Kita said, quickly deciding her schedule for the next day. "This way, I can also join Ijichi-senpai in watching Gotoh-san play."

Kamigawa nodded in agreement again.

After setting their plans to meet at the café, they continued to stroll through the mall for a while before finally parting ways.

---

Walking back home, Kamigawa started to reflect on the day.

It wasn't a busy day by any means, but somehow… it was unexpectedly intimate.

First, he and Kita had watched a movie together, then they'd gone to the accessory shop to pick out a gift for Gotoh, and finally, they'd even exchanged gifts with each other.

At the time, none of it had felt strange. But looking back… wasn't this pretty much the flow of a date?

In fact, it was almost exactly like a date scene from a galgame.

The more he thought about it, the more Kamigawa started to feel uneasy.

Why do I get the feeling that I'm the one being… targeted here?

Thinking back, he could pinpoint the start of it. After she'd given him those movie tickets, while he was still wondering who to invite, she had immediately suggested they go together. Then, she'd invited him along to the accessory store to choose a gift for Gotoh—only to surprise him with a gift for him instead.

No matter how he looked at it, all of this seemed like she was the one making moves.

Wasn't I supposed to be the one raising Kita's affection level? How did things flip around so quickly?

Well, it wasn't going to be that easy to win him over. As long as he and Kita stayed friends, he'd be fine.

Nothing to worry about.

Having sorted out his thoughts, Kamigawa neared his apartment.

He collected the watering can and a few other small items he'd had delivered to the building's storage area and sent a message to Nagasaki Soyo.

They'd arranged it yesterday—he'd bring these things to her on his way home, so she wouldn't need to carry them herself.

Once she confirmed she was home, Kamigawa pressed the button for the top floor.

---

"Thanks for helping me out."

Soyo opened the door and welcomed Kamigawa inside, reaching out to take some of the bags from his hands.

When she'd received his message a few minutes ago saying he was on his way over, she'd felt unexpectedly happy. Spending the whole day alone at home was unbearably dull, with nothing to do except mindlessly scroll through her phone, which only made her feel lonelier.

Now that Kamigawa was here, her spirits were lifted, and with the time still early, there was a chance they could even have dinner together.

She found herself hoping they would.

"Oh, it's nothing at all," Kamigawa replied casually. "Just figured I'd bring over the things you might need. Where should I put these?"

"Right next to the sunflower on the balcony," Soyo said, leading him outside. "I'll probably use most of these things often, so it's best to keep them close by."

Once there, she picked up the watering can and looked to Kamigawa for confirmation. "By the way, do you think it's a good time to water the sunflower?"

"The florist said to water it every two to three days. Since it's been a couple of days, today should be just fine," Kamigawa replied, recalling the instructions he'd gotten when he bought the sunflower.

"Perfect, I'll go fill this up."

As she watered the sunflower, Soyo glanced over at Kamigawa, who was standing by her side. "Have you eaten yet? If you haven't, I'd be more than happy to make dinner for both of us tonight."

Kamigawa paused for a moment before answering. "Not yet. If you don't mind, I'd love it if you could make an extra portion."

Since he was already at her place, he figured they'd probably follow up with some bass practice, as usual, and by then, going out to eat would be too much of a hassle.

"Of course," Soyo replied warmly, a smile spreading across her face.

So he really did stay for her sake yesterday.

After finishing up with the sunflower, Kamigawa went back to his apartment to get his bass, while Soyo headed into the kitchen to prepare some tea for him and check the fridge. She wanted to get a sense of what ingredients she could use for dinner.

But as soon as she opened the fridge, she noticed a slight problem.

She was nearly out of ingredients.

Her mother's unexpected return last night had led her to make extra dishes, depleting her stock much faster than expected. The remaining ingredients would only be enough for one person, not nearly enough to include Kamigawa as well.

Just then, the doorbell rang again, and Soyo quickly closed the fridge, heading over to open the door.

"I'm really sorry to trouble you, but would you mind waiting here for a bit? I need to run to the convenience store for ingredients," she said, looking at Kamigawa, who had just returned with his bass slung over his shoulder, her tone tinged with apology.

"Then I'll come with you."

Without hesitation, Kamigawa slipped the bass off his back and left it inside her apartment.

"Huh?" Soyo was taken aback, quickly following up, "Isn't that too much trouble for you?"

Of course, she was happy he'd offered to go with her, but he had already gone back and forth a few times. She felt a little guilty.

"It's no trouble at all," Kamigawa said, gauging her reaction. "You'll probably buy a fair amount of ingredients, right?"

"Yes, usually I buy enough to last me a while," Soyo admitted. Living on the top floor meant it took her extra time to get downstairs, so she preferred to shop in bulk when she went out.

"I can help you carry everything—you'll be able to buy as much as you need."

To emphasize his point, Kamigawa jokingly flexed his arm. All those bonus strength points from the system were certainly paying off.

"Plus, I need to pick up a few things too, so this works out."

"Then… let's go together." With his sensible reasoning, Soyo saw no point in refusing.

"Alright."

---

Outside the apartment building, on their way to the convenience store, Soyo sneaked a glance at Kamigawa walking beside her, feeling a warmth of contentment.

When was the last time she'd gone to the convenience store with someone?

It had been so long that she couldn't quite remember. But now here she was, actually walking alongside him to the store.

She tried to keep her focus straight, though her gaze occasionally drifted back to him. Her eyes then moved toward other people in the store: a couple shopping with their child, friends laughing and joking, and couples who seemed quite close.

She found herself wondering…

What would people think we are?

Friends?

Or…

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T/N: Siblings!

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