Starting from Their Seventeen Years Old

By the time Tsushima Kagami finally saw the two editors off, he and Yukinoshita Shizuku headed together to Hayase Kinue's room.

"Oh my, Kagami, Shizuku — done entertaining your guests?"

"Dinner's just ready, come on in."

Hayase Kinue swung the door open wide. Tsushima Kagami and Yukinoshita Shizuku stepped inside with a smile — and found Tsukuyomi Komoe and Douraku Utage already seated neatly at the dining table.

The moment the two of them spotted Tsushima Kagami and Yukinoshita Shizuku, they brightened up and hurried over, pulling the pair along into the living room to sit down together.

Ever since moving in, Tsushima Kagami and Yukinoshita Shizuku had been having dinner here at Hayase Kinue's place as a matter of course.

Tsukuyomi Komoe and Douraku Utage couldn't cook to save their lives and survived mostly on takeout — which Hayase Kinue eventually couldn't bear to watch any longer, and so she'd taken it upon herself to cook for them after work each evening.

After a while, the two of them simply started chipping in for groceries and let Hayase Kinue handle dinner, while occasionally picking up ingredients on their way home.

So when Tsushima Kagami and Yukinoshita Shizuku moved in, it was only natural that Hayase Kinue swept them up into the dinner arrangement as well — it also spared Yukinoshita Shizuku quite a bit of trouble.

When they had time, Kagami and Shizuku would pitch in and help, and the whole thing ended up being far more lively than when Hayase Kinue used to manage on her own.

Once all the dishes were on the table, everyone dug in.

"Those two earlier — they were editors from the publishing house that runs Kagami-kun's novels, weren't they?"

Hayase Kinue had noticed them standing outside that afternoon. She'd been about to go ask who they were looking for when she saw Tsushima Kagami and Shizuku return and bring them inside like old acquaintances. She'd caught the word "editors" in passing.

Now her curiosity finally had an opening.

"That's right. I happened to finish the installment for the next issue today, so I called them over to pick it up."

"That would be 'Hear the Wind Sing,' yes?"

"How impressive — I had no idea there was a celebrated author living right here in the building~"

Hayase Kinue helped herself to another bite, smiling warmly as she said it.

"And it's not just any novel, either — Kagami-kun's 'Hear the Wind Sing' is selling like mad."

"Especially among students. Nearly every one of them has a copy of the issue of 'Gunzo' it's running in."

"I've lost count of how many I've had to confiscate from kids sneaking a read during class."

Tsukuyomi Komoe's initial excitement gradually gave way to a look of pure exhaustion.

"I've confiscated quite a few copies of 'Gunzo' running 'Hear the Wind Sing' from students reading in class myself."

"Honestly — can't they just wait until after school and read it at home!"

Douraku Utage chimed in right after.

Hearing the two of them, Hayase Kinue set down her chopsticks and rested her chin in her hand, thinking it over.

"Now that you mention it — I've been running into the ladies at the supermarket these past few days, and they keep bringing up 'Hear the Wind Sing' too."

"They're all saying they'd love to get a look at this mysterious author of theirs."

Tsushima Kagami smiled quietly and kept eating, listening to the conversation drift around him — when he felt a light tap on his foot.

He turned. Yukinoshita Shizuku was sitting right beside him.

She leaned close to his ear, still smiling.

"You're practically every woman's best friend at this point."

Tsushima Kagami laughed at that, then said it straight to her face.

"Not 'practically' — already am."

Yukinoshita Shizuku blinked. She looked at Tsukuyomi Komoe, Douraku Utage, and Hayase Kinue — then thought of all the other girls who seemed to orbit around him.

She slowly slipped the bite she'd been holding with her chopsticks into her mouth, then gave a thoughtful nod.

"I suppose that's true."

Hayase Kinue carried on.

"You know, after reading Kagami-kun's 'Hear the Wind Sing,' I found myself wanting to fall into a romance just like that."

At that, Tsukuyomi Komoe and Douraku Utage both set down their chopsticks.

Tsukuyomi Komoe, unusually, paid no attention to the two minors at the table. She reached into her pocket, produced a cigarette, lit it, and drew a long, melancholy drag — then blew a practiced ring of smoke. But the light had gone out of her eyes.

Beside her, Douraku Utage seemed to shed her usual personality entirely. She had gone slack and listless, cracking open a can of beer and knocking it back in long, defeated gulps.

"My, what's come over the two of you?"

Tsushima Kagami watched the pair of them, then turned to Hayase Kinue.

"Oh, don't mind them."

"The moment anyone brings up romance or marriage, they go like this."

Hayase Kinue said it with perfect composure.

"Waaah, we want a romance like that too."

"Work is so exhausting."

"Always getting lectured by the higher-ups, always worrying about the kids' futures."

"I just want someone to check in on me when I'm feeling fragile."

"Tell me about it!"

Tsukuyomi Komoe and Douraku Utage burst into loud, messy tears.

And as they sobbed, they kept sneaking glances sideways at Tsushima Kagami.

Hayase Kinue smiled and joined in.

"It really is lonely sometimes, being on your own~"

She, too, looked over at Tsushima Kagami.

Tsushima Kagami felt his foot get stepped on again.

He smiled anyway.

"A romance that fizzles out and goes nowhere isn't really something to wish for, you know."

"It only leaves you sadder than before."

"And besides..."

He looked at the three adult women, all of whom somehow appeared younger than he was.

"Kinue-nee-san, Moe-sensei, and Douraku-sensei are all still so young."

"There's absolutely no need to rush."

"We're not exactly young anymore, actually."

Tsukuyomi Komoe and Douraku Utage stopped crying and looked at Hayase Kinue.

"So... so how old are you all, exactly?"

Tsushima Kagami had always been curious about their actual ages.

"What do you think, Kagami-kun?"

"Well... even calling you my little sisters might be pushing it age-wise."

All three of them burst out laughing.

"You really do know what to say, Kagami-kun."

"But as for our ages — that's not something we'll be telling you~"

Hayase Kinue said it with a grin. Tsukuyomi Komoe and Douraku Utage nodded emphatically in agreement.

"But you know — if we could actually fall into a romance like that."

"If we could have a memory like that to hold onto... even spending the rest of our lives alone wouldn't feel quite so lonely."

All three of them looked at Tsushima Kagami again.

Yukinoshita Shizuku, sitting beside them, watched the three women.

There was something off about the way Hayase-san, Moe-sensei, and Douraku-sensei were looking at Kagami.

How to put it exactly?

Even Sayuri, Akane-senpai, and Sonoko-senpai — the ones who spent the most time around Kagami — didn't quite look at him like that.

And yet it felt strangely familiar. Like she'd seen something similar before.

She looked again at Tsushima Kagami, chatting away happily with the three of them.

Really.

Grinning away like an absolute idiot.

So what was Kagami's type, anyway? Was he into younger girls? Older, more mature women? Or that tricky combination — a girl who looks young but is actually older?

Right in the middle of that thought, it hit her.

That look — wasn't it the exact same look she wore when she watched Kagami?!

She couldn't see her own expression, of course, but the feeling behind that look — she knew it intimately.

The only difference was that they were letting it show openly, unguarded, as if they wanted to make absolutely sure Kagami noticed.

The realization sharpened Yukinoshita Shizuku's gaze. She swept a cool, appraising look across the three of them.

"Oh? Shizuku-chan, you suddenly look quite intimidating."

"Is something the matter?"

Hayase Kinue caught the shift in Yukinoshita Shizuku's eyes right away.

Tsukuyomi Komoe and Douraku Utage startled, then both rushed to apologize.

"Ahaha."

"That's my fault — I shouldn't have just lit up like that."

Tsukuyomi Komoe quickly stubbed out her cigarette.

"Oh goodness, and I really shouldn't be crying and carrying on after drinking either."

Douraku Utage laughed sheepishly.

Yukinoshita Shizuku quickly softened her expression and smiled.

"Oh, it's nothing — you must have misread me."

She stood and began gathering the empty plates from the table.

"Let me take care of washing these for Kinue-nee-san."

"I'll help."

Tsushima Kagami got up as well and started clearing the table alongside her.

____

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🔥 New history: Oshi No Ko: Co-starring with Kana Arima

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