Chapter Text
Chapter 6 – Operation: Leave Them Alone
The next morning, everyone woke up with a mission.
Well...
Almost everyone.
Giyuu was already awake at 4:00 AM, sitting in the kitchen with a mug of tea, completely unaware that the rest of the mansion would soon begin plotting around him.
---
7:45 AM — A Suspicious Meeting
Shinobu stood in the living room with her arms folded.
Mitsuri leaned in excitedly.
Tengen looked like he'd been waiting his entire life for this moment.
Rengoku nodded enthusiastically despite not knowing what was happening.
Obanai sighed.
"...Why am I here?"
Gyomei quietly sipped his tea.
Muichiro had somehow wandered into the meeting by accident.
"...What are we talking about?"
Sanemi wasn't there.
Neither was Giyuu.
Perfect.
Shinobu smiled.
"I've noticed something."
"Oh?" Mitsuri asked.
"Tomioka-san and Shinazugawa-san talk to each other every morning."
"Tch," Obanai muttered. "If you can call that talking."
"They exchange, like... four words," Mitsuri agreed.
"Exactly," Shinobu replied. "That's four more than either of them exchanges with anyone else before breakfast."
Tengen grinned.
"...I see where this is going."
---
Shinobu looked around the room.
"We're going to help them become friends."
Obanai immediately raised a hand.
"They're going to hate us."
"Probably."
"I'm in," Tengen said.
"So am I!" Mitsuri beamed.
Rengoku slammed a fist into his palm.
"AN EXCELLENT PLAN!"
Muichiro blinked.
"...Why?"
Shinobu smiled innocently.
"Because they're both lonely."
Silence.
Gyomei nodded.
"...I believe Lady Kocho has a point."
Obanai sighed dramatically.
"...Fine."
---
Phase One
Breakfast.
Everyone gathered in the dining room.
Everyone...
Except Giyuu, who was quietly making tea.
And Sanemi, who wandered in a minute later.
"...Morning."
"...Morning."
There was their entire conversation.
Shinobu watched with narrowed eyes.
"...Hopeless."
---
Mitsuri suddenly stood.
"Oh!"
"I forgot something upstairs!"
She hurried away.
"So did I," Shinobu said.
"I shall accompany you."
Rengoku stood.
"I TOO HAVE FORGOTTEN SOMETHING!"
"You don't even know what," Sanemi said.
"I SHALL REMEMBER ON THE WAY!"
Tengen dramatically pointed toward the hallway.
"I must supervise this remembering."
The four of them disappeared.
Very obviously.
---
Sanemi looked around.
"..."
"...Were they always this weird?"
Giyuu quietly stirred his tea.
"...Yes."
"...Fair."
---
That left—
Only the two of them.
The kitchen felt strangely quiet.
---
Sanemi opened the refrigerator.
"...You're making breakfast?"
"...Yeah."
"You always cook?"
"...Usually."
"...Mind making extra?"
"...Sure."
---
Five minutes passed.
Neither spoke.
It wasn't awkward anymore.
Just...
Comfortably silent.
---
Giyuu slid a plate across the counter.
"...Here."
Sanemi looked down.
Perfectly cooked eggs.
Rice.
Grilled salmon.
Miso soup.
"..."
"...You made all this?"
"...Mm."
Sanemi took one bite.
"..."
"...Still annoyingly good."
"...Thanks."
---
Behind the doorway—
Eight pairs of eyes peeked inside.
Mitsuri whispered excitedly.
"They're eating together!"
Tengen whispered much louder than necessary.
"THE PLAN IS WORKING!"
"It's called whispering," Obanai hissed.
"I AM WHISPERING."
"No, you're not."
---
Phase Two
Later that afternoon—
The group was heading to rehearsal.
The van had three rows of seats.
Plenty of room.
Except...
Somehow...
There wasn't.
---
"Oh no!" Mitsuri said dramatically.
"Only two seats left!"
Shinobu nodded.
"What a coincidence."
Tengen placed both hands on Sanemi's shoulders.
"You and Giyuu should take those."
"..."
Sanemi narrowed his eyes.
"...Why."
"Because."
"...That's not an answer."
"It is today."
---
Before Sanemi could protest—
Rengoku had already sat down.
Gyomei sat beside Muichiro.
Mitsuri next to Shinobu.
Obanai immediately claimed the last remaining single seat.
"..."
Sanemi stared.
"...You people planned this."
"No," Shinobu lied.
"We absolutely did," Tengen corrected.
"..."
Shinobu sighed.
"Thank you, Uzui-san."
---
Sanemi grumbled all the way to the back.
Giyuu looked up from his phone.
"...Hi."
"...Move over."
"...Okay."
---
The ride began.
Five minutes.
Ten.
Fifteen.
Silence.
---
Eventually—
Sanemi glanced sideways.
"...What're you listening to?"
Giyuu held up one earbud.
"...A demo."
"For the tour?"
"...Yeah."
"...Can I hear it?"
Giyuu blinked.
"...Sure."
He handed over the earbud without hesitation.
Sanemi put it in.
Soft piano.
Then—
Giyuu's voice.
Raw.
Unfinished.
Beautiful.
"..."
Sanemi stared out the window while listening.
When the song ended—
He quietly handed the earbud back.
"..."
"...It's good."
Giyuu looked surprised.
"...Really?"
"...Yeah."
"...Thanks."
---
Behind them—
Mitsuri was vibrating.
"He complimented him!"
Shinobu smiled.
"I heard."
Tengen wiped away an imaginary tear.
"Our little rock star is growing up."
Obanai rolled his eyes.
"I regret joining this operation."
"No, you don't."
"...No."
---
Phase Three
Rehearsal ended earlier than expected.
The manager clapped.
"You have the afternoon off."
Everyone cheered.
Except—
Tengen.
"I HAVE AN IDEA."
Sanemi groaned immediately.
"...No."
"We're splitting into pairs!"
"...Absolutely not."
"It has already been decided!"
---
Tengen began pointing.
"Mitsuri! Shinobu!"
"Yay!"
"Rengoku! Me!"
"Splendid!"
"Gyomei! Muichiro!"
"...Okay."
"Obanai..."
"..."
"...You can go wherever you want."
"...Finally."
---
Sanemi frowned.
"...Who's left?"
Every single person slowly turned toward Giyuu.
Who looked up from tying his shoe.
"...Hm?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
Sanemi closed his eyes.
"...You're kidding."
Tengen smiled brilliantly.
"YOU TWO!"
---
Giyuu blinked.
"...We're going together?"
"If that's okay," Shinobu added gently.
Giyuu nodded.
"...Sure."
Sanemi sighed the sigh of a man who knew he had lost before the argument began.
"...Fine."
---
As the others walked away—
Mitsuri quietly whispered,
"Do you think they'll actually talk?"
Shinobu smiled.
"They don't need to."
"Huh?"
"They're already becoming comfortable with each other's silence."
Gyomei nodded.
"A rare kind of friendship."
Tengen grinned.
"And perhaps..."
He wiggled his eyebrows exaggeratedly.
"...Something more someday."
Obanai immediately smacked him on the back of the head.
"Ow!"
"You're getting ahead of yourself."
"...Worth it."
---
Meanwhile, completely oblivious to the matchmaking conspiracy...
Sanemi and Giyuu walked side by side down the quiet street.
Neither of them spoke for nearly five minutes.
Then Giyuu suddenly stopped in front of a small bakery.
"...Do you like melon bread?"
Sanemi looked at him, confused.
"...Yeah?"
Giyuu nodded once.
"...Me too."
It wasn't much of a conversation.
But when Sanemi noticed Giyuu's lips twitch into the faintest, almost invisible smile as they walked into the bakery together...
He didn't mind the silence anymore.