Rewrite Our Love? Too Late
Chapter 158: In the Quiet Between Days

Chapter 158 - In the Quiet Between Days

Yukima Azuma's room was still cloaked in silence, the night's hush barely disturbed by the soft breathing of the three people inside.

Miyamizu Mitsuha lay in a deep, tranquil sleep on the bed, her face peaceful under the dim light that filtered in through the slats of the curtains. At her bedside, Kato Megumi and Kasumigaoka Utaha remained quietly seated, backs straight and faces unreadable.

"...What do you think?" Kasumigaoka finally murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Megumi's response came softly, almost reflexively. "Azuma-san must have his reasons. I don't want to cause him any more trouble."

A quiet "Oh" was all Utaha could muster, though her eyes lingered on the sleeping form in the bed with unreadable intensity.

Then, a beat later, Megumi added with a trace of hesitance, "Actually... I can understand Kasumigaoka-senpai's feelings."

"You don't need to comfort me," Utaha replied, sharper than necessary—but not unkindly.

"Um," Megumi said quietly, folding her hands in her lap.

No more words followed. The conversation, short and brittle, fell into silence once again.

Time dragged on. The digital clock on the nightstand flicked past 11:40 p.m., then 11:55. Midnight approached slowly, the turning of the day marked by nothing but the soft tick of seconds slipping by.

Both girls had stayed longer than they intended. Concern, suspicion, confusion—they were emotions too heavy to resolve in one night, but they couldn't bring themselves to leave. Not yet. Not until they understood the full truth.

Fatigue crept in, soft and insistent.

Kato Megumi blinked slowly, propping herself up against the bed with her palms. Her usually expressionless face twisted slightly in concentration as she struggled to stay awake, but her body begged for rest.

Utaha shifted as well, trying to stand—but her legs, numbed from sitting too long, wouldn't cooperate. Her eyelids drooped despite her will to resist. The psychological weight of the past twenty-four hours pulled her consciousness downward.

And then the day turned.

Both girls, seated close by the bed, finally succumbed. Their bodies slumped sideways, heads gently coming to rest against the soft mattress, as exhaustion claimed them.

The room was once again still—until the figure lying on the other side of the bed stirred.

Yukima Azuma slowly opened his eyes.

He didn't move immediately. He stared at the ceiling, his vision adjusting to the dim ambient light. Then, very quietly, he sat up.

His gaze fell upon the two girls, now asleep beside the bed. Both of them... had stayed. Waited. Worried.

His chest tightened.

He hadn't expected them to see through it so easily. He had thought—no, hoped—that his performance was enough to fool them. But a few words, a slight shift in tone, and they'd realized. It wasn't him.

They hadn't been deceived.

That kind of perception... could only come from deep care. Perhaps even love.

Azuma ran a hand through his hair, conflicted.

For days now, he had maintained the delicate balance of his situation. Dividing his time, his attention, his heart, carefully—thoughtfully. By not choosing, he had kept everything in motion.

But it was fragile. A house of cards.

And the moment he disappeared for just a short while, it all began to collapse.

He stared at the two sleeping faces beside the bed—Kasumigaoka Utaha, proud, sharp, stubborn. Kato Megumi, calm, unassuming, yet deeply perceptive. Both of them... his heroines.

Which one should he choose?

Azuma exhaled quietly, the question echoing in his mind.

But the answer... had always been there, buried under layers of denial and delay.

He didn't want to choose.

He wanted to choose all of them.

But love, real love, wasn't a fantasy. The women he cared about were not characters in a dating sim. They had wills, boundaries, pride. They couldn't be treated like prizes, parceled out into neat storylines.

Eriri—arrogant and awkward, yet genuine.

Yukinoshita Yukino—righteous and cold, yet lonely.

Megumi—gentle and selfless, yet never naive.

Utaha—brilliant and biting, yet deeply loyal.

Azuma frowned.

Could they really accept it?

Could they ever accept it?

Would any of them be willing to compromise that much—share what should be exclusive?

Maybe he was just being selfish.

But no matter how complex the future might be... he could not let them sleep on the cold floor like this.

Gently, he reached down and wrapped his arms around Kasumigaoka Utaha's limp body. She murmured something incoherent in her sleep but didn't wake. With care, he laid her on the bed.

Then, he turned to Kato Megumi, lifting her easily. She was lighter than expected—soft, warm, and trusting even in unconsciousness. He laid her down on the bed as well, positioning her closer to the edge.

Finally, Azuma lay down between them, facing the ceiling again.

He sighed.

No matter what happens tomorrow, he thought, they shouldn't suffer tonight.

Morning

The first light of dawn crept in through the curtains, gently brushing against closed eyelids.

Kasumigaoka Utaha stirred first.

Her brows twitched. A pleasant warmth surrounded her. Her arms were wrapped around something—someone.

Something soft and firm. A human pillow?

She smiled in her sleep and nestled closer.

But then, her logic caught up.

Wait. She didn't own a pillow like this.

Her eyes opened.

And there he was—Yukima Azuma, asleep in her arms. His face was so close she could feel the faint warmth of his breath.

She blinked. Then, almost involuntarily, the corner of her mouth curled up into a small, satisfied smile.

She moved slightly, about to reach up and brush a strand of hair from his forehead—

And met another pair of eyes across the bed.

Kato Megumi had also woken up.

She, too, was lying under the blanket. Her eyes were calm, but unreadable. They stared at each other in silence, the entire world suspended in that single glance.

Kasumigaoka quickly realized the truth.

He had been holding Megumi tightly earlier.

But now, Azuma was nestled in her arms.

Whether he came here by choice or instinct... he chose me in the end, she thought with the faintest flicker of triumph.

Megumi saw through that thought immediately.

But she didn't react.

Instead, she gently pulled away from Azuma's sleeping form, making as little noise as possible.

Truthfully, she had woken up first—held tightly in his embrace, so tightly it had almost startled her. He hadn't wanted to let go.

And it had made her... happy.

But when she lifted her head, she saw him sleeping with Utaha.

So she had withdrawn quietly, hiding her face for a few moments under the covers to regain composure.

Megumi didn't sigh. Not visibly.

But in her heart, something delicate ached.

Not out of jealousy—at least not fully—but out of the soft pain of loving someone enough to accept what you shouldn't have to.

She was never the type to compete.

And yet here she was—competing.

Maybe it was love that blurred her own boundaries.

Eventually, Utaha gently released Azuma, poking his forehead with her slender finger.

He stirred and slowly opened his eyes, blinking in confusion before his gaze registered the scene.

"...Utaha-senpai, Megumi... good morning."

Megumi sat up quietly, concealing a faint smile behind her hand.

Utaha, more direct, narrowed her eyes and gave him a sharp little kick under the blanket with her stockinged foot.

He sat up instantly.

Good boy, Utaha thought wryly.

Her anger was cooling already, defused by his look of sincere guilt.

Still, she folded her arms. "Do you plan on explaining yourself?"

Kato Megumi remained silent, but her eyes held the same question.

Azuma didn't evade.

"I was wrong. Please forgive me this time." He clasped his hands together in front of him like a student begging for mercy.

"And... I bet you two haven't had breakfast, right?" he added with a sheepish smile. "How about I make some wontons? I'll explain everything while we eat."

There were no lies in his voice.

Only resolve.

Both girls gave in—quietly, grudgingly.

Breakfast and Truth

The wontons were served steaming, each bowl garnished simply but perfectly. Soft wrappers, savory broth, a drizzle of sesame oil.

The girls accepted their bowls and sat down as Yukima brought his own portion to the table.

Then, he began.

He told them about Itomori Town.

About Mitsuha.

About the comet—Charlotte—and the fragments that would shatter lives three years ago.

About the Guardian God.

About his task.

Neither girl interrupted, though their expressions changed throughout.

Kasumigaoka's brow furrowed in deep thought.

Megumi looked more dazed than anything, her spoon halfway to her mouth.

After a long pause, Utaha finally spoke. "What if you fail? Will that god punish you? Or take something from you?"

Her voice trembled slightly, despite her best efforts.

"To me, you're more important than any ancient tragedy."

Azuma shook his head. "No punishment. I can stop this at any time. Honestly, I think the god just needed someone—anyone—to try. They're not all-powerful."

Megumi looked relieved. "So... what's your plan now? Do you need help?"

Azuma offered a wan smile. "If we were in the same time, you two would be amazing support. But... I'm stuck three years behind."

They nodded silently.

He added, more softly, "Only five swaps left. After that... it ends."

They didn't speak further.

But the silence held something tender. Something stronger than yesterday's doubts.

Epilogue

After breakfast, Utaha disappeared to her room, hugging Hogyokumaru close.

Azuma turned to Megumi. "I'll walk you home."

They left quietly.

The early morning air was cool. Neither spoke much during the walk. But as they reached the top of Detective Hill, where petals fell like snow from blooming cherry trees, Azuma turned.

"Megumi."

She looked up.

"We're lovers, right?"

The words came without hesitation.

Megumi blinked once, startled. Then, understanding dawned.

He was talking about her conversation with Mitsuha yesterday.

And now, he was repeating it.

Claiming her.

Her heart skipped.

"Yes," she whispered, so softly it could have been the breeze.

They stood together beneath the blossoms, time and seasons colliding—and the uncertain future just ahead.