Last night was a mess. We went shopping for clothes, but that’s where normality ended. Right after I managed to relax a bit, Mai struck me with a statement: “I decided I will live with you! I’m getting Mizuki along with me!”

  Akane decided on the spot that she will live with me too. This couldn’t get any worse. Was I having a dream or a nightmare?

  It’s not that bad that 2 of my childhood friends want to live together with me, I don’t particularly mind it since we were always so close, but…won’t that grow us to be TOO close?

  I got to sleep on my own that night, but the next morning at 8 AM, Mai knocked softly on the door, and when I opened the door, there they were. Mizuki, Mai and Akane, holding their boxes of stuff.

  “Good morning Kaito! Let’s get along while we live here!” said Mai in her usual cheerful tone.

  “Don’t you dare peek on us or anything while we stay here!” said Akane stingy.

  “Please take care of us Kaito-san!” said Mizuki, laid back.

  My facial muscles were tweaking. I had mixed feelings about this.

  On the positive side, my childhood friends and a former idol were going to live with me. On the other hand, who knows what daily troubles we will go through. And more…who knows what kind of romantic development we will go through?!

  “W-Welcome…”

  The three of them rushed inside and I showed their way to their rooms.

  “Okay. Mai and Mizuki, mind sharing a room?”

  “It’s fine by me!” said Mai.

  “Works for me too.”

  “Ok, then you guys get the bottom floor bedroom, since it's slightly bigger than the one upstairs and you two need more space. Akane, you get the room next to mine. It’s a double bedroom but you can manage being alone in it.”

  “Why do I have to sit next to your room?!”

  “That’s the only room available, unless you want to sleep on the living room couch.”

  “H-hmph! I guess I can sleep in the upstairs room…”

  “Great, That’s settled.”

  I go on and show the girls around the house, present their rooms and help carry their essential belongings.

  Mai and Mizuki’s room was plenty big. A double bedroom with a very soft bed, two desks, and lots of space for themselves. It was my parents room before they moved away.

  The two jump on the bed.

  “Thank you, Kaito!”

  I leave the two of them to enjoy the room, and I head upstairs with Akane. Her room was also a double bedroom, only a bit smaller than the other one.

  “That’s about it. If you need anything, call me over.”

  “T-thank you…”

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  We all head down and gather in the living room.

  “That’s about it. Unpack your things and…enjoy your stay, I guess.”

  Mai suddenly has a great idea.

  “How about we throw a party? A move-in party?”

  Akane pops up first.

  “Sure! Sounds great, let’s have some great food and enjoy our time. Kaito you go to your room and play video games or whatever.”

  “It’s MY house, why am I the ONLY ONE left out?!”

  Mai intervenes.

  “Come on Akane…it’d be rude to host a party in Kaito’s house if we don’t invite him. What’s the big deal?”

  “I-It’s nothing. I just want a girls night, that’s all. But so be it, Kaito, you WILL join us tonight!”

  “What’s with the sudden mood change?!”

  “Shut up! I don’t want to hear anything from you!”

  What a pain. I just agreed to join their party and that’s how I get greeted? Not cool. I let out a sigh of relief and walk away to the shower.

  I start up the water, hot and steamy. I couldn’t see much in the room because of the steam.

  “Man, this is the best!”

  Just as I was about to finish the shower, I find…a pair of eyes starting at me through the glass panel?

  “W-WHAT?! WHO IS THAT?!”

  When she noticed I saw her, she fled. I couldn’t get out of the bathroom, so I accepted the idea of not finding out who it was. It was a terrifying thought, but someone…was creeping up on me? So that means…one of the three girls living with me actually ….ehh?

  I was all red and flustered. I didn’t hate the idea that one of them was harboring feelings for me, but who was it?

  I decided to give it a rest for now, but I kept looking for signs that could lead me to the girl who was watching me take a shower.

  I go downstairs to start up the oven and cook up some great food. Mai helped me by grilling the chicken, Mizuki helped washing the dishes and Akane…ordered some pizza for whatever reason.

  “Let’s get the move-in party started!”

  “Yaay! Let’s pick out some games to play.” said Mai cheerfully.

  “Is monopoly good?”

  “It sure is!”

  We started playing. We all laughed, ate and had the time of our lives.

  3 hours passed. In every single game I finished dead last.

  “I’m done with this! I’m going to sleep. Tomorrow is a school day after all.”

  I head up to my room, start up my nightly anime-aid for sleep and close the lights. I fell asleep.

  The other girls are in the living room. They decide to call it a day and ready up for sleep. They change into their pajamas and head to the bathroom. All of them start washing their faces and removing their light makeup, and brushing their teeth.

  Akane and Mizuki finish first, while Mai tells them she’s going to take a bit longer.

  “I want to also take a shower, go on without me!”

  “Okay. Good night!”

  She was now all alone in the bathroom. She quickly takes her shower and makes her exit…not to her room, but to Kaito’s room.

  She opens the door quietly and sees Kaito asleep like a baby. Mai sits down, next to his bed, with her back turned against him, talking in a low voice.

  “You know.. Kaito. You seem so confident and cool on the outside…but I know that something is wrong on the inside. I know about that incident. How you swore to never approach any girl ever again. You are so friendly to girls, but you never get too close to one. You don’t allow it to happen. And it’s not that you don’t want a girlfriend…you don’t want to hurt anyone.”

  Mai hugs him.

  “But you don’t need to do that. You’re not hurting anyone if you love them. Nothing bad will go down. What happened back then was not your fault. You can turn to us any time you need some help; we’ve always been here for you. The shackles that bound you can be easily broken. You just need to move over the past and put your trust in us. After all, I love you deeply. Even when you were going through that trauma, you still held up a smile to help me overcome my loneliness. I will always, always love you. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. And I will always be by your side, in any situation possible. Even if the whole world is against you.”

  She gets in his bed and happily sleeps while hugging him.

  “I love you…Kaito.”

  But Kaito couldn’t hear her. He was in a deep sleep. He was dreaming about corndogs he had at a school festival in the final year of junior high.

  “Mai-saan! Get me another corndog please!”

  “Sure thing!”

  The dream ends. It shifts to something else…he’s now in a classroom with Mai. It was a scene from 3 years ago. But the dialogue was not what he remembered from then. Instead, it was Mai’s words from before she fell asleep.

  “Kaito…I love you.”

  “What?!”

  “I don’t need a response. All I’m going to say are 4 words. It’s not your fault.”

  “My fault for what?”

  “You know well. Don’t let it bother you anymore. I love you.”

  “Please, get out of my heaaaad!”

  Kaito springs from his bed in a seriously shocked state. He notices Mai sleeping next to him.

  “Mai…what are you doing??????”

  “5 more minutes Kaito…”

  “Get o-“…oh, she must have felt lonely again last night. Something must have happened after I fell asleep. Let it be for today…but what was that dream about…

  “Okay.”