Seeing a stranger join the conversation, Tsurumi Rumi immediately clammed up, then subtly moved to hide behind Mori Shinra.
However, Tsurumi Rumi didn't know that Miura Yumiko was here specifically for Mori Shinra.
"We agreed to hang out together. What are you guys doing here?" Miura Yumiko asked, her gaze drifting towards Mori Shinra.
She then immediately noticed the tiny figure hiding behind him.
Is this the kid they were talking about yesterday?
This thought immediately popped into Miura Yumiko's head, followed by another: She's really close to Mori Shinra.
It wasn't jealousy.
She wasn't at the point of being jealous of an elementary schooler.
Her thought was that since the girl was hiding behind Mori Shinra, it meant their relationship was better than she had expected.
But the problem was, based on Tsurumi Rumi's behavior, she clearly wasn't the type to proactively build relationships.
If her relationship with Mori Shinra was good, it meant he was the one who had taken the initiative.
By the same logic, Mori Shinra was more invested in Tsurumi Rumi than she had thought.
His earlier talk about helping her wasn't just talk; he really planned to do it.
In that case... shouldn't my attitude be a bit more proper, too?
Miura Yumiko barely hesitated.
She bent down slightly and smiled at Tsurumi Rumi. "Hi there, Rumi-chan. We've met before, remember?"
"I don't remember." Tsurumi Rumi said honestly.
She really had no impression of Miura Yumiko, other than knowing she was a classmate of that very popular "big brother."
They had never spoken.
"Then let me introduce myself again. My name is Miura Yumiko. I'm his classmate," Miura Yumiko said, pointing at Mori Shinra.
Tsurumi Rumi looked at Mori Shinra, a little confused as to why she had to specifically mention that.
After a thought, she asked, "Just classmates?"
"And good friends."
And I'm even thinking about dropping the 'friend' part.
"I see..." Tsurumi Rumi was beginning to understand.
"Want to come play with your big sister?" Miura Yumiko asked with a smile.
Tsurumi Rumi didn't answer.
She just moved away from Mori Shinra and instead hid behind Yukinoshita.
Miura Yumiko's smile froze.
Yukinoshita, seeing this, sighed and said to Yuigahama, "You go on and play. I'll handle things here."
"R-roger!" Yuigahama had been extremely nervous this whole time, terrified that Miura Yumiko and Yukinoshita Yukino were about to start World War III.
But fortunately, both sides were exercising restraint due to what had happened yesterday.
They were trying their best to avoid interacting with each other, so a conflict was unlikely.
Although, she wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but she felt that after one night, Yumiko's mood had improved a lot. Last night she was so angry she couldn't sleep, and just played on her phone until late...
Miura Yumiko glanced at Yukinoshita, annoyed.
What does she mean, 'You go on and play'? As if she needs her permission to hang out with Yuigahama.
But the moment her gaze swept over Yukinoshita Yukino's chest, Miura Yumiko's annoyance instantly vanished, replaced by an inexplicable sense of pleasure.
Hmph. C-cup vs. A-cup. Victory!
Yukinoshita Yukino: ?
Sensing Miura Yumiko's gaze and her emotional shift, Yukinoshita looked down at her own swimsuit, confused.
There's nothing weird on it, is there? Why does she suddenly look like she's won?
Looking at Miura Yumiko's retreating back, Yukinoshita turned her head and asked Mori Shinra, "Is there something on me?"
"Can't you just look down and see?"
"That's why I'm asking you."
"My answer is the answer to your question."
"..."
Yukinoshita looked puzzled, but then she seemed to realize something.
She covered her chest with her hands.
"It's fine. Looking at Haruno-san's development, your future prospects are still pretty big," Mori Shinra offered comfortingly.
Yukinoshita glared at him.
Tsurumi Rumi didn't understand what this couple was riddling about, but she wisely put some distance between them, her gaze unconsciously drifting back towards the river beach.
Waiting for a diving performance, ing...
"Who cares about that? In the end, a person's success isn't determined by external features. And even if you were to judge by looks, you should use a relative evaluation based on overall balance. So I don't care at all. On the other hand, she's the one hung up on it. It's not yet known who the real loser is..."
If you really don't care, why are you saying so much?
Mori Shinra was about to speak, but he saw Yukinoshita Yukino flash a devastating smile.
She said, "You agree, right?"
I feel like if I say 'no', I'm going to go flying again.
"Right! Absolutely right! If we're just judging by size, that would be far too shallow. Besides, you're so beautiful, Yukino, you don't need to worry about that at all," Mori Shinra nodded in agreement.
In the figure department, Miura Yumiko was the authority. But in terms of facial delicacy, Yukinoshita Yukino was a cut above. Even her older sister, Yukinoshita Haruno, wasn't quite her equal in that respect, in Mori Shinra's opinion. Of course, Haruno was also stunningly beautiful.
"...I already said I don't care."
Yukinoshita Yukino was still being stubborn, but her eyes couldn't help but drift towards Yuigahama and Miura, who were splashing each other in the distance.
Then she looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka.
Finally, her gaze returned to herself, and she let out an extremely faint sigh.
"What's wrong with her?"
Tsurumi Rumi, seeing there would be no diving show, returned to Mori Shinra's side and asked, confused.
"It's nothing. Just the troubles of growing up."
"Troubles of growing up?"
"You'll understand when you get to high school."
Although puberty for girls usually comes earlier than for boys, and you can see some signs in middle school, as the old saying goes, "you don't shed a tear until you see the coffin."
Usually, you're not in a hurry at the beginning.
The real hurry often starts when you're almost at the end.
"High school..." Tsurumi Rumi thought for a moment.
It felt so far away, yet somehow very close.
She asked again, "When I get to high school, will my situation, and this awful feeling, change..."
"If you stay just as you are now, you probably won't feel it's awful anymore, because you'll already be numb."
"That sounds... not bad?"
"Just because you don't feel the pain, doesn't mean the pain doesn't exist."
Yukinoshita, having recovered, coldly corrected Tsurumi Rumi's misconception.
Then, as if speaking to Rumi, but also to herself, she said:
"If you don't change, then no matter what you do, you're essentially just running away."