After dinner.
"Y-Yuu-kun, wait outside first! I need to tidy up the room! And check if Natsukawa-san has a habit of sleeping without clothes!"
Like a girl nervously inviting a boy to her house, Yuigahama spoke hurriedly before rushing into the room. She slammed the door shut with a bang, leaving Yuu unable to see anything inside.
Yukino, also locked out, pressed her forehead with a resigned expression. "What's there to tidy up? I already cleaned up before we left, Yuigahama-san… And while traveling, even if Natsukawa-san lacks common sense, she wouldn't sleep naked here."
"In fact, Masuzu doesn't have a habit of sleeping naked," Yuu added.
Yukino glanced at him. "You know that quite well."
"She's my girlfriend. Is it strange that I know things like that?" Yuu tilted his head and smiled, his eyes clear and honest.
Seeing him, Yukino froze for a moment. Then she lowered her gaze, letting out a soft sigh and a faint laugh.
"You used to say so confidently, 'I won't take it seriously, it's just a request…' But in the end, you both fell into this situation too."
"Use a better term. It's called finally agreeing," Yuu said, glancing at the door. Standing parallel to it, he spoke in a cheerful tone. "If feelings could be suppressed with just a few words, they wouldn't be so valuable that people would risk their lives and chase them so desperately, right?"
Yukino stepped toward the door. Her voice remained clear and cool.
"I can understand it, but I can't feel it."
Looking at her slender back, Yuu teased, "Don't speak too soon. When you fall for someone, you'll understand this feeling."
Her steps paused briefly.
As she pushed the door and entered, Yukino glanced back slightly, giving him a small, somewhat lonely smile.
"Though I don't think that day will come… I'll look forward to it."
After speaking, she entered the room. Her swaying black hair disappeared behind the door.
Not long after, the voices of the two girls called for him to come in.
"Excuse me."
Without any awkwardness, Yuu strode confidently into the group room shared by the three girls. Ignoring the neatly arranged suitcases in the corner, he passed the living area with a round table and TV, heading toward the bedroom with its paper door already open.
"Natsukawa-san is sleeping inside…" Yuigahama said softly, watching Yuu enter the dark bedroom.
Soon after, following a series of whispers.
"What are you doing?! Let me go!"
Accompanied by an incredulous shout, Yuu stepped out of the bedroom. His expression was flat. Over his shoulder, he carried a wriggling bundle of blankets.
Inside the bundle was Masuzu, the silver-haired beauty looking pale and pitiful.
Her face was flushed, and she gritted her teeth. Her body kept struggling, but she couldn't break free from his strong arms. "Pervert! Kidnapper! Rapist! Go to a hotel with your scattered female friends! Why are you carrying me out?!"
Yuu answered calmly, "If you dare do things that make people worry, you should be prepared for excessive attention… So, stop making a fuss. Come with me quietly."
"Don't think I'm easy to bully. Be careful, I'll really scream for help!"
"Then I'll stuff your mouth with socks…"
"You think I'm scared?"
"Yukinoshita's socks."
"…"
Yukino: "???"
As Masuzu fell silent with a defeated expression, Yuu looked at the two onlookers and gave a resigned smile.
"Sorry, I suddenly changed my mind. I'll take her back to my room to take good care of her."
Snapping out of her shock, Yuigahama hesitated for a moment. In the end, she seemed to give up on asking why. She just scratched her cheek and smiled wryly. "Then, don't be too noisy… Though if others find out, it probably won't be an issue."
After all, Yuu was just a supporter. Even if he brought a strange girl to his room, the kendo club coach couldn't control him… Besides, Masuzu was his acknowledged girlfriend. Whatever they did was reasonable.
Imagining the scene briefly, Yuigahama's cheeks flushed. She felt a bit scared looking at the two of them. Her heart ached slightly and beat faster.
Beside her, Yukino crossed her arms over her chest and said bluntly, "You'd better be careful. Since you're here for the tournament, act like a participant. Don't have any accidents before the match that could affect your performance."
What kind of accident?
After she said that, Yuigahama couldn't help imagining strange things.
Like mental exhaustion from an all-night "workout," or accidentally injuring his waist or other body parts…
(No, no! Yukinon definitely didn't mean it like that. Yuu-kun taking Natsukawa-san to his room alone, he's definitely not planning to do anything like that!)
Yuigahama quickly shook her head, banishing all those unhealthy, censored thoughts from her mind.
And reality proved… she wasn't entirely wrong.
Yuu and Yukino weren't thinking of such things. The only one with similar thoughts was Masuzu.
"Yukinoshita-san, Dango-chan, are you going to let him take me back to his room to be humiliated and toyed with? Why are you just standing there watching? Is this a Service Club activity too?!"
"Don't drag us into your couple's quarrel."
Facing Masuzu's accusations, Yukino only spoke coldly as she walked to the bathroom. "If you truly felt violated, we wouldn't ignore it—but ask yourself, do you really hate what he's doing?"
"If not, please take your boring flirting scene elsewhere. I'm not interested in watching."
Masuzu fell silent. Once again, she was speechless.
Before carrying her out of the room, Yuu turned toward the bathroom and raised his voice. "Oh, by the way, Yukinoshita."
"Can you stop talking to me while I'm in the bathroom?" Yukino's slightly annoyed voice came from behind the door. "Fine, what is it?"
"I ran into your older sister on the way. I don't know if she's already looked for you."
"!"
A few seconds later, Yukino hurriedly opened the bathroom door. Wiping her wet hands with a handkerchief, she looked toward the door with a shocked expression.
"You said she came too… Wait? Where is she?"
"She left after we talked."