Eternal Melody

After taking a phone call, Hino returned to the living room to find the girl fast asleep on the couch. For a minute, he looked at her and sighed. It would be uncomfortable sleeping on the couch. But, 'going into her room is overstepping boundaries.' He sighs deeply and shakes his head. It's not like he will do anything, he needs to stop being so self-conscious about everything. If Sumire notices, it would make her uncomfortable.

He walked over to the couch, noticing how red her face was. Frowning, he reached over and placed his hand on her face, only for heat to transmit onto his palm.

'I did think she looked a bit off earlier.'

She definitely can't stay here; the living room gets cold at night. After hesitating for a few minutes, he picks her up and exits the room, carefully walking up the stairs.

"Ru." Sumire mumbled.

The minute he heard that name, a deep sigh escaped his lips. It seems Yuhi was right after all.

'It's not like Sumire ever stopped liking Mamoru. No matter how happy I make her, part of her heart will still belong to him because of how their relationship abruptly ended.'

Seeing the tears in her eyes, he felt even more troubled. What Yuhi said was correct, but there is something else.

After walking for a few minutes, he eventually arrived at the room and placed the girl on the large bed. Hino takes several glances nervously. Indeed, he can certainly see why she doesn't like staying here often. This room is too large for one person.

He went to the bathroom, filled up a tub of water, and picked up a few towels before walking to the room. Sumire was awake, she was sitting on the bed with a dazed look in her eyes, and he hurried over to lay her back down.

"Hino, I'm okay," Sumire mumbled weakly.

"No, you're not. I'll stay tonight."

Sumire laughed. "You're in my room."

Hino averted his gaze, and she laughed even more. "I know you have been trying so hard to keep your boundaries."

"If you know, then don't make it difficult for me and get better." Hino placed the towel on her forehead. "Am I pushing you too hard? I know I can be a bit overbearing sometimes, but I am not unreasonable. You just have to tell me if you want to take a break and not do certain jobs."

Sumire shakes her head. "No, I understand very well that you're already being considerate enough."

"Really? Sometimes I think I get too absorbed in my job."

"That's not bad; it just means you are dedicated to your dreams." Sumire coughed. "Ugh, I feel bad."

"Of course you do; you have a fever." Hino trailed off. "Are you going to be fine? Maybe we can postpone the aquarium outing and do something indoors at home."

Sumire shakes her head. "No, I will be fine. But I don't think I'll be able to attend lessons tomorrow. So could you-"

"Yeah, already on it." Hino was taking his phone out and sent a message to his friend in the education ministry.

"Having connections is useful; maybe I should get some too."

"You're fine just the way you are. Besides, you're not good at talking to people. Imagining you in a crowd makes me panic."

Sumire laughed. "Indeed, it would be difficult."

"Since when were you feeling sick? I noticed you recently felt a bit off after your concerts."

But he couldn't say anything since both of them were very busy.

"Um, for three, maybe four days?" Sumire admitted.

This girl is unbelievable. How did she manage both her concerts and university at this time? Now he understands why not only Yuhi but the guys in M5 left strict instructions to keep an eye out for her. Jun specifically warned him that Sumire was very good at sneaking away and hiding whenever she was uncomfortable.

They have gotten a lot closer, but it's still not enough. He has missed out on many years of her life, years he will never get back. If they didn't bother escaping from the facility, they might have eventually left together. If he didn't rush the procedure, then perhaps- Hino shakes his head.

No, this was for the best. If they had stayed longer, Yuhi and Sumire would have been in severe danger. Seeing the girl's eyelids close, he tucked her in and told her goodnight.

She says she isn't homesick, but she probably does miss her friends. He didn't understand why she was refusing to see them for a long time, but after hearing her talk about her experience, he finally understood.

'I gave her some advice recently after she told me, and surprisingly she listened and contacted her friends back home.' It seems she has only reached out to one person, but that is better than completely blocking them.

His gaze fell on the scores scattered across her desk, just a brief glance, and he knew who they were for. This girl is so stubborn; if she misses them, she should just say so. Did she think Yuhi would be offended? Yuhi is hostile towards her friends but not controlling. If she ever wanted to see them, he wouldn't stop her.

It seems like he will have to make a move.

…..

At Entertainment, June 23rd.

Hino wanted nothing more than to remain by her side today. But he had a lot of work to do at the office. Recently he has been focusing more on his work as her manager and has been neglecting the company.

'I'm okay, Hino. I will just sleep and eat. Go.'

Indeed, she did look too weak to move around. But Jun's words remain firm in his mind. Surely she wouldn't try to sneak off? It was difficult concentrating on his meetings, let alone his paperwork. He takes out his phone.

The house has CCTV cameras, but he doesn't like using them. It's an invasion of privacy, even though Yuhi gave him the password to access the cameras. It's not right to snoop around. Besides, it's not like he left her alone. He debated about it in the car but decided to ring Kusaji Atsuro to come over and look after her.