Misaki didn't think too much and answered simply, "Well, Junior Shiro Sakamaki has moved into a new place and invited me over to play games."
Mitaka Jin frowned. Although he had always hesitated to accept Misaki's feelings, it wasn't because he disliked her—rather, he never felt worthy of her, so he never gave a proper response.
But now, hearing that she was going to Shiro's place, he couldn't help but picture Shiro's tall, handsome appearance and suddenly felt a little uneasy.
Just as he was about to say something, the screeching sound of brakes pierced the air. A motorcycle stopped right in front of Sakurasou.
"Hey, Mitaka-senpai, Misaki-senpai, Good evening."
Misaki raised her hand excitedly. "Junior Shiro, good evening! Hey, let's go already, I can't wait!"
Shiro smiled and handed her a helmet.
After putting it on, Misaki turned to Jin and said, "I'm just going to hang out for a bit and come back. Don't worry, Jin. Junior Shiro will take good care of me."
"Oh~~~! Let's go!"
Shiro glanced at Mitaka and added, "Senior Jin, would you like to come too? I picked up some great games—some real classics. It's not far and a taxi won't cost much."
Misaki looked at Jin with anticipation. Her eyes clearly hoped he'd say yes.
But she was once again disappointed. After a brief pause, Mitaka shook his head. "Forget it. I've accepted a new script. Things are about to get busy, so I won't be joining."
"Junior Shiro, Misaki can be a bit much. Take care of her."
Shiro grinned. "Don't worry, senpai. Misaki-senpai and I enjoy the same things. Besides, she made lunch for me the other day with such care. I'll make sure she's okay."
Mitaka gave a silent nod and turned around, retreating back into Sakurasou. As the door shut behind him, Misaki's cheerful expression dimmed just a little.
But the disappointment didn't linger. She had long grown used to being rejected by Jin. Each time, she left with hope, and each time she returned disappointed—but still, she believed someday he'd change his mind.
Snapping out of her thoughts, she gave Shiro a light pat on the shoulder. "Wuhu~ Junior, step on it! No time to waste!"
Shiro replied with a chuckle, "If we go any faster, we'll end up spending the night at the police station."
Misaki giggled and stuck out her tongue before falling quiet.
They weaved through the noisy city streets on the motorcycle and soon reached Shiro's apartment, breaking free from the traffic.
He unlocked the door and opened it. Misaki's eyes immediately lit up—the place was clean and well-organized, not at all what she expected from a single guy's apartment.
What she didn't know was that just two days earlier, the apartment had looked like any other bachelor pad. The cleanliness was thanks to their classmate, Nanami Aoyama.
Misaki ran to the huge projection screen and flopped into a beanbag, letting out a joyful sigh.
Shiro pulled down the screen with a remote, dimmed the main lights, and turned on soft spotlights in the back. Then he opened the front cabinet to reveal a whole wall of game consoles.
"Senpai, stop lounging and come pick a game. What do you want to play?"
Misaki stared at the lineup of consoles in awe, struggling to choose—something rare for her.
It took them nearly half an hour just to decide on a game. By the time they started playing, it was already close to 10 p.m.
They played and munched on food from the takeout Shiro ordered, completely immersed in their little game night.
Time flew by, and before they knew it, it was nearly 1 a.m.
"Oh no… What should I do? It's so late. Teacher Chihiro will definitely be worried!"
Even though she often broke rules, she usually stayed at Sakurasou. Staying out overnight was a first—and it made her a bit anxious.
Shiro didn't seem too worried. Would chihiro-sensei be concerned? He chuckled. Maybe—if she even notices.
He called Chihiro Sengoku. The phone rang several times before she answered, and the noisy background gave away that she was out drinking again.
Shiro gave her a quick explanation: it was too late, and he didn't feel right letting Misaki go home alone, so she'd be staying over.
Chihiro sighed. "Alright, but I'm warning you—don't try anything funny. Misaki's a good girl."
"I know, sensei. Don't worry."
"And you're out drinking again so late… aren't you worried about getting into trouble?"
Chihiro snorted. "Tch, as if! I'm with Hiratsuka. What could possibly happen?"
"Oh, with Hiratsuka-sensei? That's a relief."
At that moment, Shizuka Hiratsuka's voice rang out through the phone: "Chihiro! Tell that brat if he skips class tomorrow, he's dead meat!"
Shiro's forehead throbbed with stress lines. Without waiting for a reply, he ended the call after leaving a polite message.
"All good, senpai. I cleared it with Chihiro-sensei. You can stay here tonight. There are plenty of rooms—feel free to pick one. I've got extra bedding and everything."
Misaki lit up again. After choosing a room, she and Shiro continued gaming until nearly 3 a.m., when she finally dozed off mid-session.
Meanwhile, back at Sakurasou, Mitaka Jin was in no mood for sleep.
He had assumed Misaki would be back before midnight at the latest. But time ticked on, and there was no sign of her.
Unexpectedly, Chihiro returned earlier than Misaki.
Seeing Jin still waiting in the living room, Chihiro sighed inwardly.
"Jin, don't wait anymore. Misaki just called—she's staying at Shiro's place tonight."
Jin's heart sank. Images he didn't want to see began to creep into his mind, and his face turned grim.
Chihiro added, "Don't worry. Shiro's reliable. I've known him long enough. He won't do anything reckless."
She paused, eyeing him. "You really care about her, don't you? So why not just tell her?"
Mitaka Jin shook his head. "You don't get it… Misaki and I… it's complicated."
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