"Kuro~, good morning." A sleepy voice leaked into the still-dim hallway. Tanaka Aoi hit snooze three times before finally getting up on the fourth alarm. Her black hair down to her shoulders was a mess, and the earring from her right ear had slipped out from under her pillow. She dragged her 155cm frame down the stairs. White blouse, navy skirt, cardigan slung over one shoulder. The last Monday of September in Minase City. Pale morning light was just beginning to show through the window. "I smell food…" The scent of miso soup tickled her nose. Aoi's eyes opened a little wider. In the corner of the living room, near the veranda—a fluffy bed. For seven years, Kuro had been there every morning. Curled up in winter, stretched out in summer, always there. "Kuro, you still sleeping?" Aoi peeked at the bed. ——There was a boy she didn't know. Black hair. Long. Straight black hair that spilled past his shoulders, falling across his face. Slender hands folded like a cat's across his c