"…"
Yuu's motion of sending photos to Sora paused slightly. He frowned and looked at her.
"Haruno-san, I've been meaning to say this for a while… You know I have a girlfriend, yet you keep saying things like that to me. Don't you think it's inappropriate?"
"Things like that?" Stunned for a moment, Haruno, half-turned, realized what he meant. She dragged out her words, "Oh~~ You're saying that even though I know you're taken, I'm still flirting with you like this, acting like a shameless woman trying to steal you, right?"
The corner of Yuu's mouth twitched. "I didn't say it that harshly…"
"No need to explain, I get it!"
Under his puzzled gaze, Haruno patted his shoulder with a serious expression. "You're right. Setting aside other factors, I said I like you and invited you to a love shrine. Isn't that basically flirting? Your girlfriend could come and slap me twice."
"…Ha, good that you understand."
Yuu exerted great effort to suppress the urge to grumble. He only laughed awkwardly.
Haruno then said, "But have you ever considered one thing?"
"What?"
She looked up with her mature, beautiful face. The corners of her lips curved slightly. Her eyes were filled with a deep, mysterious smile, as if everything was under her control.
"If I knew that you two aren't really dating, and Natsukawa Masuzu-chan doesn't actually like you… Hmm, maybe it's the same situation as Yukino-chan's friend, Yuigahama Yui-chan, right now?"
"Tenkuji, would you still see me as a wicked woman stealing someone else's boyfriend?"
Her voice was soft and low.
At that moment, the thought that crossed Yuu's mind wasn't that Yukino had leaked information about that request. Instead, it was how terrifying Haruno's ability to gather information was.
…As if he deeply trusted the two sisters. But no. He only trusted his own observational skills.
That day, when he followed the Service Club at the fall festival, it was enough for Haruno to notice some things. When she later met Masuzu at the apartment, she must have extracted the information she wanted from their conversation, while Masuzu herself was oblivious and didn't even realize she was being targeted.
Coupled with some simple reasoning and bold guesses, of course, if Haruno wanted to know, their fake relationship would be like paper in front of her, easily torn apart.
Because of this, Yuu showed no trace of panic or surprise.
He only met her gaze with deeper, calmer eyes and answered briefly:
"Yes."
Haruno's expression froze for a moment. "…Why?"
"Because she likes me, and I like her too."
Though it was a fact he'd decided for himself, he believed it from the bottom of his heart.
Because they liked each other, the confusion and unease would persist. That's why they weren't willing to completely cut ties with each other.
Someone who knew this but still tried to interfere between them, no matter who, was no different from an intruder.
The only thing that could stop them from truly being together was the knot in their own hearts—and the system.
"…"
The smile on her face slowly faded. Haruno stared into his eyes, as if trying to peer into his heart through those deep black depths.
After a long time, she sighed resignedly and turned away.
"Fine, I'll restrain myself more… It's tough being a caring Onee-san. I finally found a junior I want to dote on, but I'm seen as a wicked woman trying to be the third wheel. It really breaks my heart. Sob, sob, sob~"
She placed her hands at the corners of her eyes, pretending to cry a few times, and sighed sadly.
When she turned back, her lazy, cheerful smile was still on her face.
"Well, don't worry! Until you meet my standards for being my boyfriend, I won't try to steal you in any way… To become someone I like, you still have a long way to go."
(There's a gap?)
(Is it 131 kilometers long, or 33 days?)
Yuu shook his head. He gave her a bright smile too.
"Good. I don't want to be liked by a dangerous woman like you. You didn't even rule out the option of stealing me by any means."
Haruno raised her eyebrows. Her gaze sharpened slightly. "Oh, you lowly high schooler, how dare you talk to your senior like that?"
Yuu shrugged innocently. "I'm just telling the truth. Should I repeat it more politely, Senpai?"
"Good grief…"
As if she couldn't do anything with him, Haruno put her hands on her hips, laughing sourly and sighing loudly.
"I take back what I said earlier. You're a little interesting, but you're even more annoying!"
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
After leaving Shimogamo Shrine, Haruno found an excuse to part ways with Yuu. She went to a restroom in a nearby park to wash her face.
"He's really like an iron wall… The closer I try to get, the more it hurts when I crash into him. He's the type I hate the most."
She muttered to herself.
The cold water and her voice flowed down the drain. Haruno slapped the water off her face forcefully. She slowly raised her expressionless face. Her pale lips opened and closed slightly.
"If that's the case, why can't I bring myself to tell him to leave? Why am I letting myself suffer like this?"
Even now, the uncomfortable feeling tore at her heart. Recalling those words, the pain made it hard to breathe.
The pain was so intense that she could only use acting to hide herself. She seemed fine, but under the white light, she looked more helpless.
"A heartbroken girl? Turns out I can still feel this. Tsk, tsk, tsk, how rare."
With a mocking tone, Haruno couldn't hold back a laugh, then turned her gaze away, unwilling to look at herself in the mirror anymore.
"Let's forget about love for now. At the very least… I need to find the truth."
"I have to know what's missing from my past!"
Her confused voice regained its determination.
She pulled the wooden comb from her chest pocket. The next second, her eyes widened. She stared blankly at the painting on the comb.
Originally, there was only a faint black line. Now, the springtime painting on the comb looked like glass about to shatter, covered in web-like black cracks. It seemed like it would break into pieces with the slightest touch.
Just ten minutes ago, it wasn't like this. During that time, the comb hadn't hit anything. How could it…
She carefully rubbed it with her thumb. The comb's surface was still smooth, with no tangible cracks.
"What's going on?"
With shock in her eyes, Haruno stood frozen. After a long time, she put the comb back in her pocket with a complicated expression and stepped out of the restroom.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Yuu returned to the inn just in time for the six o'clock dinner.
After washing his hands, he went to the restaurant. Many people were already seated in two rows. In front of each person was a low, dark brown wooden table. On the table was a tray with a steaming dinner set.
Yuu went to the kendo club to warn them about the balcony issue, telling the club president to be cautious. Then he quickly found the Service Club's spot.
There was space between each low table, so it didn't matter who he sat next to. Naturally, Yuu sat beside Yuigahama, avoiding looking at Yukino.
"Where's Masuzu? Is she not coming out for dinner?"
"Seems like it." Yuigahama sighed resignedly. "I called her to wake up, but there was no response. She's probably sleeping soundly."
"You can never wake someone pretending to sleep."
Yukino said flatly. With the corner of her eye, she saw Yuu sit in front of his tray. She then clasped her pale, slender hands and said softly with her eyes slightly closed:
"Let's eat."
"Oh, let's eat too!" Yuigahama quickly picked up her chopsticks.
Yuu looked at the steaming miso soup on the tray. After a moment's thought, he said to Yuigahama beside him:
"I'll stop by your room later. I'll drag her out to eat or bring food to her. It seems she didn't eat anything at noon. I can't let her keep going like this."
"Eh?"
Yuigahama's motion of picking up vegetables froze mid-air. Seemingly confused, she blinked her round, bright eyes at him.
"…To our room?"