When It’s Time to Eat, I Unconsciously Feel Hungry

The piano played, and Sawabe Tsubaki unconsciously glanced towards the corner. Through the transparent glass, she could see the person sitting at the piano looking slightly surprised.

"It's really him... After all, this is his song." Tsubaki muttered, appearing dazed, with a hint of sadness on her face. But then, she patted her face and cheered up.

"Seriously, why did you suddenly play this song? It was obviously his favorite piano piece from the past."

After complaining a few times, Tsubaki gazed out the window.

The sky was blue and distant, with only a few white clouds floating above.

Passersby hurried along.

Suddenly, the scene seemed to shift.

Back to the past.

Tsubaki rested her chin on her hand, feeling slightly lost as she listened to the familiar piano music.

The song ended.

There was silence in the corner for a long time.

After a while, Kaori's voice sounded slightly deep: "Kuromori-kun, this music..."

"How does it feel?"

"It sounds good."

Kaori gave a positive response, now fully aware.

Why did the other person suddenly play this song, with some subtle changes?

At this moment, Haruto made a request for an ensemble.

"An ensemble."

Kaori thought for a moment, biting her lip, then took a deep breath. She raised her hand to tuck her hair behind her ear and calmly asked, "Kuromori-kun, I'm curious, why did you suddenly want me to play an ensemble?"

Sometimes, a woman's intuition is very sharp.

At this moment, Kaori had already realized something.

Although it seemed hard to believe, sometimes people hold on, even when the odds are slim.

Haruto spoke lightly, "Because someone asked me to."

He didn't hide it because there was no need to.

Arima Kousei didn't ask him to hide anything. Maybe he was hoping for something too?

Or perhaps he was afraid of saying nothing at all!

After all, ten years had passed.

If Kaori were still alive, even if she were married and had children, it wouldn't be surprising!

But clearly, Kaori didn't.

Most people in this world can't live without someone. Though it may seem a bit harsh, it's the truth.

Of course, no one has the right to blame anyone for this.

Yet, precisely because of that, there are precious emotions that can move people deeply!

Because Kaori had subtly given an order to leave.

Haruto wasn't angry.

At that moment, Kaori needed to be alone to calm down.

As he reached the street, Haruto took out the gourd pendant and said, "Do you have any ideas?"

"I-I don't know."

"I have a suggestion." Haruto stepped forward and calmly said, "Tomorrow, say goodbye to him properly."

"Ah~"

Kousei only responded, then made no further move.

Haruto put the gourd pendant away, lifted his head, squinted at the sky, and walked towards the train station.

❀❀❀

At the same time...

Itsuki came downstairs. "Nino, I won't be back for dinner tonight."

"I know~"

Ichika looked on curiously. "It's so late, are you still going out?"

Suppressing her guilt, Itsuki tried to stay calm. "I found a nice restaurant online, so I want to check it out. Don't worry, I'll stay safe, and my phone's fully charged."

Yotsuba firmly added, "Itsuki, if anything dangerous happens, remember to call Kuromori-san; he's really strong."

Ichika glanced at Yotsuba in surprise, then placed a finger on her lips, smiling. "Yotsuba's right, Kuromori-kun is indeed very strong."

Miku looked up at her. "Itsuki, bring me a bottle of drink."

Nino didn't even look up. "And me, I want milk tea."

After leaving the apartment building, Itsuki took a deep breath. She raised her hand and gently pressed it against her chest.

"It's already late, and Kuromori-kun suddenly called me out. Is it really just for dinner?"

"It should be, so don't be nervous, don't be nervous. Even if it's a date, it's nothing special."

"Yes! That must be it!"

Itsuki took several deep breaths, then determined her direction and walked confidently towards the train station.

Though nervous and worried, she had already agreed, so she had no choice but to go.

After all, Haruto had helped her so much. If she couldn't even help him with this small favor, that would be too much.

❀❀❀

At the train station...

From a distance, Haruto spotted Itsuki looking around nervously.

That distinctive ahoge still stood out even among the crowd!

Itsuki stood under a tree, wearing a pink and white shirt and a light blue skirt.

Haruto approached her.

Seeing him, Itsuki took a deep breath, then unconsciously clenched her handbag and greeted him nervously, "Good evening, Kuromori-kun."

'Are you too nervous? If I told you we're heading to my place for dinner, would you turn around and run?'

After thinking that, Haruto decided not to say anything for now.

Though running away wasn't in Itsuki's character, she was clearly very nervous, so it was best not to upset her further.

The night breeze blew.

The cherry trees on both sides of the road had also begun to wither, signaling the quiet end of spring. Unknowingly, more than a month had passed.

Haruto couldn't help but reflect.

If he hadn't agreed to teach Itsuki from the start, what would he be doing now?

Maybe staying home, quietly reading books or playing games.

Or perhaps heading to Mafuyu's house next door to watch TV together?

But things were fine as they were.

Although Haruto was pestered by some idiots every day, he actually enjoyed his current life because he felt very content.

And this kind of life was what many boys dreamed of.

It's just...

It would be nice if the time could be a little longer.

However, people must learn to be content.

Be content and happy.

Excessive greed will only make life miserable.

Of course, being content and happy is fine, but one shouldn't stop moving forward. You also need to work hard when it's time to work hard.

Who knows how long it had been, but suddenly the tempting aroma of food wafted through the air.

Haruto's ears twitched, and he suddenly heard the sound of a rumbling stomach. He unconsciously glanced at Itsuki beside him, seeing her trying to remain calm, though her face was clearly flushed!

Without hesitation, Haruto grabbed Itsuki and turned around, saying, "Itsuki, let's go eat first."

"Kuromori-kun, slow down."

"Walk faster, we can eat more later."

Itsuki puffed her cheeks slightly. "Kuromori-kun, you're too much! I'm not greedy; I just unconsciously feel hungry when it's time to eat!"