The group was chatting in the lounge.
Most of the conversation revolved around amusing everyday stories, clothes, and shoes.
What surprised Sato was how rarely they talked about cosmetics, though after thinking about how naturally beautiful they all were, it suddenly made sense.
After sitting there for a while, he heard footsteps.
Turning around, he saw Hikigaya Komachi coming downstairs and asked,
"How's Hikigaya doing?"
Komachi immediately puffed out her cheeks.
"He'll be fine after resting for a bit. Seriously, Onii-chan actually managed to overdo it in a hot spring. That's so embarrassing!"
Just then, footsteps and conversation sounded from outside.
"This is Kaisan Hot Spring Inn. Besides you, there's another group of guests staying here today. Oh! Their daughter seems about the same age as you all, probably high school students as well."
Hearing the innkeeper's voice, everyone quickly understood.
The other guests had arrived.
Sato raised an eyebrow toward the entrance, and the girls also turned curiously to look.
The inn's entrance consisted of two sliding glass doors.
Soon, a family of three accompanied by the owner entered their view.
Sato casually sized them up.
Hmm...
An ordinary-looking middle-aged couple.
And besides them...
"Megumi?!"
The moment he saw the remaining figure, Sato's eyes widened, and he blurted it out instinctively.
Not far away, the girl who had just stepped into the entrance looked up in confusion toward the lounge.
She noticed Sato staring at her in surprise.
Their eyes met for a moment.
A faint ripple of emotion passed across Katou Megumi's delicate but characteristically calm face.
She seemed a little surprised as well.
Tilting her head slightly, she looked at him and softly spoke a single word.
"Sato?"
In an instant, the entire lounge fell silent.
Countless eyes swept back and forth between the two of them, trying to figure out their relationship.
The girls didn't think too much of it, though they found it somewhat curious.
After all, they were close enough to Sato that calling each other by first names wasn't unusual.
But Megumi's parents had a very different reaction.
The moment they heard it, both of them widened their eyes and exchanged a glance before turning toward Sato with unmistakable delight.
Sato froze.
What exactly are you two getting excited about?
Then he watched as the couple huddled together and began whispering intensely.
"Hey, honey! Did you hear that?"
"Of course I heard it!"
"That boy just called our Megumi by her given name! And she called him by his name too, didn't she?"
"That's right! I never thought Megumi would actually have a male friend she's this familiar with!"
The ordinary-looking middle-aged man sighed emotionally, finding the whole thing unbelievable.
He had always believed his daughter possessed a mysterious power.
A power that caused people to unconsciously overlook her existence, both consciously and subconsciously.
Even he and his wife, her own parents, weren't entirely immune. They often forgot about her presence.
Because of that, despite their daughter being genuinely beautiful, despite clearly being a lovely young girl, they had never once seen boys approach her or become close friends with her.
It had always seemed like a great pity.
But today...
Today they had unexpectedly encountered a young man who was different.
It was practically miraculous.
The husband and wife exchanged another glance, both seeing the same joy and relief in each other's eyes.
Naturally, Sato's sharp hearing picked up every word.
A trace of awkwardness immediately appeared on his face.
While he did know Kato Megumi, their relationship was nowhere near close enough for him to casually call her by her given name.
He had simply blurted out the name he knew from her online gaming account.
Who could have expected her parents to misunderstand so thoroughly?
Instinctively, he looked toward Megumi.
The girl's expression remained calm and undisturbed.
Meanwhile, after their initial excitement faded, Megumi's parents suddenly noticed the numerous pairs of eyes behind Sato.
Their expressions stiffened.
Looking more carefully, they both inhaled sharply.
They're all girls?!
They scanned the room and couldn't find even a single other boy.
Not one.
When their gazes returned to Sato, he discovered a new emotion in their eyes.
Vigilance.
One of them even took half a step forward, subtly positioning themselves in front of Megumi.
Standing behind her parents, Megumi looked at them in confusion.
"Looks like you all know each other!"
The innkeeper suddenly spoke up in surprise.
His face was filled with astonishment.
Sato paused briefly before smiling.
"We're classmates."
"Classmates? Then that's truly a remarkable coincidence! Being able to meet here like this is quite the fate!"
The owner laughed heartily.
Then he noticed the empty reception desk and the clock hanging above it.
"Oh! It's already time to start preparing dinner."
He scratched his head.
"In that case, you'll have to find your rooms yourselves. Each room has a number plate on the door. Just follow the hallway and you'll find them."
Walking behind the reception counter, he retrieved two keys and handed them to Megumi's parents.
"Sorry for the inconvenience."
"Not a problem."
Megumi's father accepted the keys.
Then, for some reason, he cast a nervous glance at Sato before immediately urging his wife and daughter onward.
"Megumi, let's head upstairs first."
"Okay."
Megumi responded softly and then nodded toward Sato.
Sato nodded back in greeting.
After the Katou family headed upstairs, Sato could faintly hear their conversation.
"Megumi, who was that boy?"
"...A friend."
"A friend? How close are you?"
"We get along well."
"Then you need to be careful. Did you see all the girls around him? Every single one of them was beautiful. That boy definitely isn't simple. You need to be extra cautious around him!"
"Huh?... Okay."
Her voice carried a hint of surprise before she quietly agreed.
Sato: "..."