Kasumigaoka Utaha slowly closed her eyes.
So that was it.
Yesterday, when she'd come to Fushikawa Publishing… that was when the "thief" had shown up.
And it had only taken that short window of time—
She recalled the cherry blossom-colored slippers at home—how they had clearly been moved.
Her gaze quietly shifted toward Yukima Azuma, now tinged with something like sorrow.
Azuma scratched the back of his head, awkwardly smiling.
How was he supposed to explain this?
The current situation was already messy enough…
And the real chaos hadn't even started yet.
Because Eriri had used "Shiratamaru" as an excuse.
And so, the three of them walked together toward Yukima's house—an awkward little group.
No one spoke along the way.
Until they reached the front door.
Azuma swallowed hard and took out his key.
The moment of truth had arrived.
He opened the door—
On the doorstep, Shiratamaru was sitting obediently, just like a little ball of fluff waiting for someone to come home.
Unlike most strays, Shiratamaru had a warm, friendly personality. Judging by its behavior, its mother must've been a house cat. Under her guidance, it had adapted perfectly to life with humans.
Why it had been abandoned in the first place… was still a mystery.
As soon as Eriri saw the fluffy, snowball-like cat, her hostility toward Kasumigaoka melted away.
She crouched down on the spot and reached out with a soft, coaxing "Nyan nyan—"
Shiratamaru responded instantly, stretching out a paw to touch her fingertips. Once it decided there was no danger, it climbed right into her hand.
As she ran her fingers through its soft, snow-white fur, Eriri's eyes lit up like a child's on Christmas morning.
Kasumigaoka's gaze also landed on Shiratamaru for a brief moment—
But soon drifted elsewhere.
At the bottom of the staircase, she spotted a pair of unfamiliar women's leather shoes.
And the cherry blossom-colored slippers?
Gone from the rack.
A bad feeling welled up in her chest.
And then—
"Welcome home."
A gentle voice rang out as a girl stepped out from the kitchen, still wearing an apron.
Kato Megumi.
If not for the Toyosaki uniform she wore beneath the apron, you might've mistaken her for someone's charming young wife.
Eriri froze on the spot, halfway through petting the cat.
Kasumigaoka's long, elegant eyes narrowed sharply.
So, this was the thief.
"Well, I'm back, Megumi-san. What are you doing in the kitchen?" Azuma asked, trying to keep his tone light.
"I wasn't sure when you'd be home," Megumi replied with a soft smile. "So I thought I'd prepare dinner—just in case."
"Oh, thank you. I'll handle the rest."
"Alright. I'll just take off the apron then."
"Mm. Go rest in the living room for a bit. You can head home after dinner."
As this exchange unfolded, Eriri and Kasumigaoka slowly turned to face each other.
Their gazes met—and a single thought flashed in both their minds.
"Why are you two acting like a married couple?!"
Kato Megumi, now standing right next to them without them even realizing, greeted them calmly:
"Good evening, Sawamura-san. Kasumigaoka-senpai. I'm Kato Megumi. Azuma-san asked me to help take care of Shiratamaru."
The two of them flinched in unison.
When had she gotten there?
Now that they looked closer, Kato Megumi was…
Surprisingly pretty.
She didn't stand out at first glance, but the more you looked, the more you realized—this girl was just as cute as the two of them. Maybe even more so.
It made you wonder: How could someone like this go unnoticed?
"Kato… was it?" Kasumigaoka changed into indoor slippers, narrowing her eyes. "You know who I am?"
"Of course. Kasumigaoka-senpai is a bit of a legend at Toyosaki. It'd be strange if I didn't."
Kato smiled gently. "But I was a little surprised just now—I didn't expect Azuma-san's tenant to be the Kasumigaoka-senpai."
The word "legend" was something Kasumigaoka heard often, but somehow, coming from this soft-spoken girl… it didn't feel irritating.
Still, she quickly understood.
This girl—Kato Megumi—was far more dangerous than Eriri.
Her every word, every gesture, disarmed people. She seemed harmless, kind, completely innocent.
But beneath that gentle facade was something far more terrifying.
The truly dangerous ones were always the ones you couldn't bring yourself to guard against.
Having realized this, Kasumigaoka turned to look at her supposed ally in this house.
What was Eriri doing?
…She was still petting the cat.
Kasumigaoka silently raised a hand to her forehead.
She had been a fool to rely on Eriri.
…
Dinner didn't take long.
Since Kato was only helping out temporarily, there weren't many dishes.
That night, the four of them sat down to a simple meal of curry, grilled mackerel, and miso soup.
After the meal, Shiratamaru was curled up in Kato Megumi's lap, blissfully stretching out its front paws across her thighs. Its soft pink paw pads kneaded at her legs like a tiny massage therapist.
Watching the intimacy between the cat and the girl, Eriri suddenly felt a sense of danger.
This wasn't good.
This girl was really dangerous!
"…Oh, it's already 9 PM. Azuma-san, Sawamura-san, Kasumigaoka-senpai—I'll be heading home now."
Kato glanced at her phone and stood up gracefully.
Even when she said "Oh," her tone stayed as gentle as ever.
"I should go too," Eriri added, though her voice carried a hint of reluctance.
Both their houses were down near the station below the hill.
But the trains had stopped running.
So, Eriri called a taxi.
While they weren't looking, Azuma quietly slipped some taxi fare into Kato's coat pocket.
After all, he had been the one to ask her for help.
It wouldn't sit right to make her pay for the ride.
And Tokyo taxis were infamously expensive.
Especially for someone like Kato Megumi, whose family circumstances didn't exactly allow for extravagant spending.
Barely a few minutes after the taxi drove off—
Azuma's phone vibrated.
LINE Message – Megumi:
"Azuma-san, why did you slip money into my pocket? I don't want to accept it."
Azuma:
"It's just taxi fare!"
Megumi:
"If it's just taxi fare, I can pay for that myself."
Azuma:
"Still! I'm the one who asked you to come help. If I let you pay for your own ride, I won't be able to sleep at night!"
Azuma: (Attached image: Not at ease.jpg)