Warm Water and an Otter.

I love this part of you

*Beep* *Beep*—my phone keeps buzzing, dragging me out of my sleep. Half-awake, I grab it, frowning in confusion.

What's going on? Why is Yanami-san texting me? And at 7 a.m.?

I blink a few times to clear the sleep from my eyes and unlock the phone. Her message is short but strange:

"Meet me at the park. It’s important."

I stare at the screen, trying to make sense of it. Important? At 7 a.m.? My mind races through a list of possible reasons, none of them good. What could kirby want this early?

I step out of my room and head downstairs, the house unusually quiet. Kaju must still be asleep.

As I wander into the kitchen, I open the fridge, scanning for something quick to make.

Hmm... Eggs, bread, and some leftover rice. My stomach grumbles, but I glance at my phone again, Yanami’s message still fresh in my mind.

Maybe I’ll just grab something on the way. I close the fridge and head for the door, the unease growing as I leave the house.

I freeze at the door, realizing I'm still in my pajamas. Seriously? I sigh, turning back upstairs. The last thing I need is to show up looking half-asleep.

Quickly, I pull on some jeans and a hoodie, running a hand through my messy hair in a weak attempt to make it presentable. Better. Grabbing my phone, I rush back downstairs, slipping into my shoes.

Now, I’m ready.

As I walk down the street, my mind churns with questions about why Yanami-san might be contacting me so early.

Could it be about the Hakamada couple again? That doesn’t quite fit since it's too early in the morning.

Lost in thought, I finally reach the small park. It’s a charming spot with a little playground.

Off in the distance, I notice an otter happily nibbling on what looks like bread with ham. She finally notices me and waves her arm in the air.

"Over here, Nukumizu-kun!" Women, finish chewing your food before you choke.

I walk over, and as I approach, I notice she’s still finishing her breakfast. I chuckle quietly, relieved to see her in good spirits despite the early hour.

"Good morning, Yanami-san. Why did you call me?"

She looks up with a grin. "Jeez, can’t I call you whenever I want to hang out?"

I frown, still puzzled. "What do you mean? It’s so early in the morning; I almost didn’t come. But since you wouldn’t stop messaging me, I came. Also, hang out?"

She nods with a smile. "Mm! That's right," she says, taking a big bite of her sandwich.

"Why? Don’t we hang out a lot in the clubroom?"

"Of course," she replies, "but I wanted it to just be us."

"Us? What do you mean?"

She sighs, stretching her arms. "It's unfair, Nukumizu-kun. You went on a date with Lemon-chan."

I blink, confused. "What does that concern you?"

Before she could reply, my stomach growls loudly, and I freeze as she chuckles.

"Nukumizu-kun? You hungry, huh?" she says with a playful tone. Obviously I'm not hungry, my stomach growling definitely was a clear sign i wasn't.

"I haven’t had breakfast. Of course, I’m hungry."

"Hmm, then there’s a convenience store nearby, right? Let’s go eat there! They might even have hotdogs! Or donuts!"

"Wait, I didn’t bring my wallet—"