“Y-you can’t?” He was in shock from her answer. This was the last thing he expected her to say if he ever told her how he felt about her.

“Of course I cannot.” She gently smiled at him. The way she glowed with the sunset behind here was beautiful. A contrast to the ugliness of how she was making him feel. “I am to be married. It is not that simple.”

“Right…” He hung his head down in shame. His move was such an idiotic one to make. Obviously it wasn’t like a confession by him would just change everything, but he knew he had to at least try. “I understand.”

“It is okay though.” She continued on. “There are… A lot of pretty girls surrounding you.” His head shot back up to look at her. Something about her tone indicated that she was doing much more than giving a simple suggestion that he could chase after someone else. “They all really love you, and I know that you love them all.” Anastasia was more aware than any of them were expecting. She knew about this all along. “You shouldn’t let them hide away their feelings.”

***

“You’re finally here.” Himawari commented when the doors to the elevator opened. Kouji quietly walked out, not addressing them as he made his way outside. “Well, aren’t you going to tell us how it went?” She asked, but given his demeanor, they knew it couldn’t have had a happy ending.

“Did you chicken out and not tell her?” Waa asked. “Wouldn’t be a big surprise coming from you.”

“No.” He finally broke his silence. “I told her how I felt.”

“Then… Does that mean…” Yuma slowly asked the question they all shared.

“She rejected me.” Kouji answered. While her face didn’t show it, Yuma was the most surprised out of everyone. She had attempted to help that girl out, they had that conversation that night when they pretended to be idols. So why did Anastasia reject the opportunity she appeared to be asking for? Actually, why did she do most of what she had done over the past year if she was engaged to be married? There was something here that wasn’t adding up for them.

“Yeah, well who needs her anyway.” Teru tried to cheer him up by making her seem like a bad person. “It’s terrible for someone to be engaged and acting the way she was around you.”

“I agree, it is rather disrespectful.” Himawari chimed in. “To think she was my favorite out of all of us.”

“Stop it.” He commanded them in a strict voice. “I know you’re trying to make me feel better, but I don’t think you should be putting her down.”

“But-” Waa attempted to plead their case.

“No buts.” He cut her off. “It’s not like any of us are better.” Kouji couldn’t bring himself to reveal to them that she was aware of their secret. Something that they left her out of, not even letting the girl know about it. “You said you all knew about her feelings, yet you still pursued me.” And he wasn’t better than them either. After all, he knew about her as well and still didn’t make any moves. Even back before he was aware of any of the other girl’s feelings. “I deserved to be rejected.” After that, Kouji told them that he was going home, and that he would’ve preferred to be alone for the night.

However, there was no way these girls would simply be content with going to bed knowing he was in trouble.

***

Fortunately for Kouji, he didn’t run into his uncle when he returned home. Good since he didn’t want to have to explain why he was feeling so down this time. Not after what happened with him and Himawari not too long ago. So the boy retreated into his room and got changed into more appropriate clothing to spend the night in. This had already been a taxing day so far, so he planned on just laying down in bed for a while before drifting off to sleep.

“I swear, if any of them come knocking on my door. I’m not letting them in.” He muttered to himself as he laid down. While a gesture like that would be appreciated, it didn’t seem like the thing he believed was needed in the situation.

“What if I came knocking on your window?” When he turned himself over in his bed, towards his window, he got a very surprising view.

“How’d you get up here!?” Staring right back at him, was Teru hanging onto his window sill. “I’m on the second floor.”

“I just climbed up the tree next to you.” Her explanation made it sound like this was a completely normal thing she was doing. “Now let me in, I can’t hold on forever.” A part of him didn’t want to do that. However, it would be cruel to let her fall so he opened up the window. In she went, along with a bag on her back.

“What’s up with that?” He asked about the contents inside.

“It’s just the stuff I need to spend the night here.” She already got permission from her parents, so there were her pajamas and personal hygiene within.

“I didn’t say you could spend the night here.” He was upset that she didn’t listen to him about the ‘let me alone’ deal he went on when he headed home.

“And let you sulk for the entire night?” She made this rash decision with little thought, a common act for her. “There’s no reason for you to be so depressed when someone like me is around.” She had on a mischievous grin on her face when saying so. In her mind, this was an amazing way to get one over the other girls. Lately, it seemed that he was too occupied with everyone else that she was starting to be left aside.

“I guess I shouldn’t be sitting all alone and sad in my room.” He relented and allowed her to stay. Though he hoped that in the future, he wasn’t going to have to rely too much on the girls to pick him up when he was down.

“Nice!” She did a fist pump in succeeding to get him to see things her way.

“I didn’t notice that you got home.” Kouji’s uncle opened the door without bothering to knock first. After all, he assumed that the boy would be alone in his room during this time. He had just gotten out of the shower he was in, his hair still wet and only a towel covering his decency. “Oh, and I didn’t realize you also had guests.”

“Hey Yokakura.” Teru greeted him, not caring about this awkward moment. “I hope you don’t mind if I spend the night here.”

“Spend the night?” His eyes scanned across the room. It was only the two of them here, none of the other girls were with them. Seeing this, his face changed to something much more suggestive. “Of course you’re always free to do so.” The man informed her. “And I’m sure the two of you want some privacy.”

“Huh?” Kouji gradually began to realize what was being insinuated here.

“Don’t worry, I know the two of you are growing in adulthood soon enough. So I’ll just let you enjoy yourselves without being bothersome.” He gave a wink to his nephew and quickly shut the door.

“Wait, it’s not...” It was too late to clear up the misunderstanding as they were now left alone by him. “...Never mind.”

“What’s he talking about? The two of us still got a couple of years left before we turn into adults?” Teru was ignorant to what was being hinted at.

“It’s not important.” He didn’t want to have the duty of explaining something embarrassing to someone his own age. “Just go ahead and go get yourself changed in the bathroom.” He opened up the door and pointed her to the correct room. “Then we can… Do some private things, I guess.” Since this was imprompteu, he wasn’t certain on what they were going to do together. After what happened with Anastasia, intimacy wasn’t on his mind.

“Thanks, I’ll be right back.” Teru left him, which provided the boy with rather temporary relief. These girls really did challenge him everyday.

“It can’t be that bad.” He talked to himself. “Honestly, it’s kind of nice she cares about me so much.” Kouji took this time to take a look out his window. Isako did tell him to enjoy the view while he could in his youth. However, this time, the view enjoyed looking back at him.

A pair of dead eyes stared back into his soul. In this darkness, those were the only things he could see from the figure looking at him. Otherwise it seemed to be a shadow. Emotionless, empty, almost as if they belonged to that of an evil spirit.

“Ahh!”