"Kyouko-chan~" Mrs. Minami said cheerfully. You should call him over. Let him sit with us~ Young people these days are so fun to chat with."
"Y-You mean… Haruki-kun?"
"Of course!" another woman chimed in, her eyes sparkling. "He's so polite. And handsome! We don't mind if he joins us, do we?"
"Not at all~ The more, the merrier!"
Kyouko placed her teacup down carefully.
"Umm… I barely talk to him, actually…" she said softly, her voice light and a bit awkward. "We're… not really close. He's quiet, and I don't want to make him uncomfortable…"
A few of the women pretended to be disappointed.
"Aww~ that's too bad…"
"Really? Living together and still so distant?"
"Well, he does seem like the quiet type…"
Kyouko nodded politely, folding her hands neatly in her lap. "Yes… he mostly keeps to himself."
From the kitchen, Haruki quietly finished his last sip of coffee, placed his mug in the sink, and washed the dishes with calm.
