Arou and Airi continued walking along the quiet morning street. The sun was beginning to rise, casting a gentle light over the road as the surrounding residents slowly went about their daily routines.
Suddenly, from the opposite direction, two familiar figures appeared. Arou's eyes widened slightly as he recognized them.
"Oh, Tomo? Haru?" Arou called out, waving his hand.
Tomo and Haru turned, their faces lighting up with wide smiles.
"Heh! Arou! Long time no see!" Tomo shouted enthusiastically.
Arou smiled, his tone calm as usual.
"Oh, Tomo, Haru. How have you been?"
Haru looked at Arou with a mischievous grin.
"Heh… so you've got yourself a girlfriend now? I'm kinda jealous," he said, glancing at Airi.
Tomo laughed and patted Arou on the shoulder.
"Honestly, your girlfriend's pretty cute, bro. So cute I almost wanna join in," he teased with a wide grin.
Arou gave an awkward smile, glanced at Airi, then introduced her.
"This is Airi… my future wife," he said calmly, but clearly.
Airi froze, her cheeks instantly turning red.
"Huh… w-wait… what are you talking about?!" she exclaimed, covering her face with her hands.
Tomo burst out laughing, grinning at Arou.
"Whoa, Arou… you've got guts! Saying 'future wife' right in front of us, hahaha!"
Haru leaned in slightly, laughing playfully.
"Hey, Airi… be careful, he might panic if you get mad," he teased.
Arou let out a small sigh, trying to stay composed.
"Ah… yeah, anyway… hehe… do you guys want to come over to my place for a bit? We could play some games," he offered.
Tomo and Haru exchanged glances, both grinning.
"Seriously? That sounds great!"
Airi kept her head lowered, her face still red, but she looked at Arou with a hint of curiosity.
"Honestly… you're unbelievable, Arou," she muttered softly, a faint smile forming on her lips.
The three of them continued toward Arou's house. Along the way, Tomo and Haru kept teasing him.
"Hey, Arou… your future wife is really sweet, man… hahaha!"
"Don't let her get mad because of us, bro. You ready for that?"
Arou simply smiled awkwardly, trying to stay calm.
"Ah… just wait and see," he replied, holding back the heat rising to his cheeks.
When they arrived, Arou opened the gate and invited them in.
"Come on in… let's play in the living room," he said.
Airi followed quietly beside him, still a bit shy. Meanwhile, Tomo and Haru were already full of excitement, taking off their jackets and getting ready to play.
Arou set up the console, handing each of them a controller, and soon they were playing, occasionally glancing toward Airi.
Throughout the game, Tomo and Haru didn't stop teasing, causing Arou to blush several times and nearly lose focus. Airi, though still shy, couldn't help but laugh when she saw Arou getting flustered.
That morning at Arou's house felt warm, awkward, funny, yet enjoyable. Even with all the teasing, Arou and Airi stayed together, while Tomo and Haru added a lively spark to the atmosphere.
After playing for a while, Arou glanced toward the living room entrance and saw Airi standing there, looking hesitant.
"Airi… what's wrong?" he asked calmly, giving a small wave.
Airi shook her head slightly, her cheeks still flushed.
"Um… I think I should head home… I don't want to bother you guys," she murmured shyly.
Tomo nudged Arou, grinning mischievously.
"Hey, bro… don't let her go. Come on, let her sit and play with us," he teased.
Haru added with a friendly smile.
"Yeah, don't worry… you're not bothering us at all. It'd be more fun if you joined."
Airi hesitated, looking down.
"Ah… but I… I don't want to interrupt…"
Arou smiled at her gently.
"You're not interrupting, Airi. Just sit and relax. It'll be more fun if you join us."
Tomo and Haru looked at each other, then spoke at the same time:
"Just sit down already! You're not going anywhere yet!"
Airi looked at them, her face turning even redder, but eventually she smiled a little.
"Alright… but just for a bit," she said as she stepped in and sat on the sofa.
Arou nodded with a faint smile.
"Good… just relax."
For the next few minutes, the atmosphere was both awkward and amusing. Arou, Tomo, and Haru were busy playing, while Airi sat beside them, occasionally laughing at Arou getting flustered by their teasing.
The living room was lively and warm. Arou, Tomo, and Haru were fully immersed in the game, laughing and shouting as chaos unfolded on the screen.
Meanwhile, Airi sat quietly on the sofa, slightly hunched, her eyes on the screen but her thoughts drifting. Her cheeks were still faintly red as she occasionally glanced at Arou.
After finishing a round, Arou turned toward her.
"Airi… do you want to try playing?" he asked, placing an unused controller in front of her.
Airi looked at it, still blushing.
"Um… I'm not very good at this… I might just get in the way," she said softly.
Tomo chimed in with a laugh.
"Don't worry! We're just playing for fun. It'll be great if you join!"
Haru added in a teasing but friendly tone.
"Yeah, Airi… don't just sit there daydreaming. Join the fun!"
Airi looked down, gripping the controller.
"Hmm… I'm not sure… I can keep up with you guys…"
Arou gently patted her shoulder, smiling warmly.
"It's fine if you're not used to it. I'll teach you. We'll take it easy—you don't have to win."
Airi looked at him, still unsure but clearly interested.
"Really… you'll teach me?"
"Yeah. I'll show you the basics first. Relax—you'll get it," Arou said, pointing out the buttons and movements.
With Arou guiding her, Airi began to try. Her hands trembled slightly, and she pressed the wrong buttons a few times, but Arou stayed patient.
"It's okay… try again. Press this first, then that… yeah, that's it!"
Tomo and Haru cheered nonstop, teasing and encouraging at the same time.
"Hey! Airi's moving now! Hahaha, look at Arou panicking already!"
"Don't take it too seriously, Airi! We're just having fun!"
Airi smiled a little, gradually getting used to the game.
"Alright… hmm… this is actually kind of fun," she said, letting out a small laugh as her character made a strange move.
Arou smiled and patted her shoulder again.
"See? Not that hard, right?"
Airi looked at him, her cheeks still slightly red, but now with a hint of pride.
"Yeah… but you guys are too fast… I'll have to try harder," she murmured with a soft smile.
Tomo and Haru cheered again, excited to see Airi enjoying the game.
"Now it's complete! The four of us—total chaos mode!"
Arou looked at Airi, warmth filling his chest. That morning felt light, cheerful, and a little awkward—but undeniably enjoyable. Airi, who had been lost in thought before, was now slowly smiling, adjusting herself, learning something new—with Arou right beside her, patiently supporting her.