Tanaka stepped into the house quietly after his late shift, the faint smell of instant ramen and old textbooks hitting him as soon as he opened the door. The living room light was still on, dimmed low. He expected Kou to be asleep by now. Instead, he spotted the whole gang was sprawled across the floor and couch like they'd been hit by a sleeping spell mid-study session.

Futaba was curled on her side with a textbook open under her cheek. Kou was flat on his back, one arm flung over his eyes, glasses crooked. Kominato had somehow managed to fall asleep sitting up against the couch, head tipped back, mouth slightly open. Makima was tucked into a corner with her knees drawn up, looking peaceful in a way that was unlike the rest of them. Papers and highlighters were scattered everywhere, a half-finished mind map still taped to the coffee table.

He sighed through his nose, careful not to wake anyone. Murao must have left earlier—he remembered seeing her slip out right when the sun went down. Tanaka stepped over the sprawl of limbs and bags, turned off the overhead light, and left only the small table lamp glowing. He grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen, checked that the front door was locked, then headed upstairs to his room without disturbing the sleepers.

Hours later, around 2:37 a.m., judging by the clock on his nightstand, he woke up with that restless, empty-stomach feeling that always hit after long shifts. He moved quietly down the stairs, avoiding the creaky third step out of habit. The house was dark except for the faint blue glow from the kitchen clock. He opened the fridge, squinting at the leftovers: some curry Kou had attempted earlier, a few yogurt cups, half a melon.

That’s when he heard soft footsteps on the stairs.

Tanaka turned, hand still on the fridge door.

It was you. {{user}}, the newest addition to Kou’s little friend group.

For a second neither of you moved.

Tanaka closed the fridge door slowly so the light wouldn’t blind you both. Then, he gave a small smile.

“{{user}}. Good evening.”