Am I going crazy? Why am I thinking about something like that?
Yukino snapped out of her thoughts, feeling a bit frustrated as she covered her forehead with her hand.
Her delicate bangs, pressed down by her fingers, stayed in place as the wind blowing through the window failed to stir them.
She turned her gaze back to the notes in her hands, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't focus.
Deep down, she knew that with her strong self-control, she would never lose herself completely in such thoughts.
Sure, she enjoyed their "duo matches" a lot.
But fun was fun—she still had her limits.
The reason her mind was in chaos right now was simple: she was too weak.
No matter how much she refused to admit it, the truth was undeniable.
She couldn't even see the hope of defeating him.
Ever since that day—when Haru admitted everything, when she forgave him, when that woman tried to take all the blame upon herself, as if she wanted to absorb Yukino's anger—she knew strange thoughts would start creeping into her mind.
It couldn't be helped.
Utaha's figure was simply too stunning.
At 168 cm, she was tall no matter where you went in Japan.
And when it came to comparing two equally outstanding girls, Yukino had to admit—just in terms of leg length and bust size alone, she had lost by a landslide.
A while later, Utaha arrived at the photography clubroom.
After casually greeting the others, she met Yukino's gaze and explained, "He's at the karate club."
Yukino nodded, her voice calm as ever. "You were together just now?"
"Yeah," Utaha admitted without hesitation.
Everyone in the club—except Megumi Kato—reacted as if they had just misheard something.
But before anyone could jump to conclusions, Utaha quickly explained what had happened with the principal.
"Oh, he was playing shogi?" Yukino didn't seem surprised in the slightest by Haru's victory. "Considering how many times he's lost to me, his level should be quite decent for an amateur."
Hearing that, Utaha's curiosity was piqued. "You're good at shogi?"
"I wasn't at first," Yukino admitted. "He actually started learning before me, just so he could challenge my father. Later, he asked me to be his practice partner. In the beginning, I lost to him a few times."
That part made Utaha raise an eyebrow. "And then?"
"And then?" Yukino looked at her as if the answer should be obvious. "After that, he kept losing to me. How else do you think his skills improved so fast under my training?"
Utaha sighed. "I should've figured."
For a moment, she had been too focused on envying their childhood bond to think logically.
After a pause, she asked, "So basically, he almost never won against you?"
"Not exactly," Yukino replied. "Eventually, he switched to a different board game. Then, he started winning more often."
"What game?"
"…Gomoku."
Yukino's expression, as she uttered that word, was one of pure disdain.
Utaha: "…"
Megumi Kato and the others were also a bit lost in thought.
"That's exactly the kind of thing he would do."
Utaha couldn't help but chuckle.
Gomoku was an easy game to pick up but difficult to master, especially with the additional forbidden move rules.
She could already picture it—Haru shamelessly pulling tricks while playing against Yukino.
Yeah, that's totally something he would do.
She reaffirmed the thought in her mind.
"You seem quite interested in shogi," Yukino's voice suddenly rang out.
Utaha was caught off guard. "You could tell?"
The corners of Yukino's lips curled into a faint, unreadable smile. "I can also guess that you're probably thinking about learning it with him."
Utaha fell silent.
This woman is way too sharp.
Yukino, seemingly oblivious to her reaction, continued in a calm tone, "If you're serious about learning shogi, having Haru as your opponent might not be the best choice."
"You mean… you want to be my opponent?"
Utaha immediately caught on.
Yukino gave a small nod.
Her gaze, her posture—it was as if she was outright telling Utaha: I'll give you the opportunity to be crushed by me.
Utaha took a deep breath. This was getting exciting. "Alright, I'll be in your care."
"No problem."
Just like that, they reached an agreement.
But the moment Utaha sat down, she couldn't help but feel a hint of regret.
Had she agreed too quickly?
It was just like when Yukino had chosen her as the lead actress for the film—she had accepted purely out of defiance.
This time, though, it felt a little different.
She actually invited me first. I really don't understand her anymore.
About ten minutes later.
Haru returned from the karate club, having finished grinding his experience points.
He also brought back a piece of news.
"There's going to be an anime convention in Kyoto in mid-September. Any of you interested?"
Yukino was the first to shake her head. She had absolutely no interest in such things.
But she figured Utaha might say yes.
And sure enough, in the next second, the black-stockings senpai spoke up.
"You're inviting everyone to go together? I'm in."
Then, she suddenly turned to Yukino. "You should come too."
"I believe I just declined," Yukino met her gaze head-on.
Utaha remained unfazed. "If the vice president doesn't attend, then the club outing won't feel complete."
"…This counts as a club outing?" Yukino countered while trying to decipher her intentions.
Haru immediately chimed in, "Yeah, sure. Let's make it a club event. I'm the president, so I make the rules."
Yukino didn't say anything further.
She simply shot Haru a look: Do you know what she's up to?
Haru met her gaze with equal understanding: No clue yet, but I'm curious.
Yukino gave up trying to read him. Figures.
After checking with Megumi and the others, and getting their approval, Haru officially announced the club's next outing.
That day, instead of going home with Megumi, Utaha followed Haru and Yukino.
"I've decided to learn shogi from Yukino," she declared.
Haru froze, his eyes shifting between the two girls with suspicion.
Yukino didn't hesitate. "Is something wrong with your eyes?"
"No, it's just… I don't get it." Haru spoke his honest thoughts.
"What don't you get?"
"Utaha, you do know what Yukino is like, right? If you ask her to help you improve in shogi, you're basically signing up to be tortured."
"I'm prepared for that," Utaha replied firmly.
Yukino nodded in approval. "Good mindset. I hope you can maintain it."
Despite being her junior, she spoke in a tone as if she were the senior here.
But Utaha wasn't surprised. After all, they'd known each other for nearly half a year now. Yukino never cared about strict seniority—only talent and character.
Seeing that the two had already reached an agreement, Haru decided not to interfere.
He would just sit back and watch the fun unfold.
After all, being crushed by Yukino was an experience he knew far too well.
As the three of them passed by a park, they spotted a man with long hair, wearing earrings, and with expertly applied makeup.
He was pushing a baby stroller while speaking into his phone in an oddly delicate, submissive voice.
Yukino and Utaha both grimaced at the sight, quickly looking away and picking up their pace.
Haru, on the other hand, stared for a few extra seconds.
Naturally, this little act didn't go unnoticed by the two girls.
Their expressions darkened in unison as they snapped, "What are you looking at?"
Haru caught up with them, rubbing his chin in thought. "I was just reminded of a really famous series."
Instantly, both girls became wary. "What series?"
"…Nothing."
Haru wasn't dumb. No way was he saying it out loud.
That man just now had a very 0 kind of vibe. In other words, a passive partner.
For the baby in that stroller, this was literally a 'starting life in a different world from zero' situation.
"I have a feeling he's thinking something weird," Utaha muttered, unconvinced.
Yukino's sharp gaze swept over Haru. "Are you thinking something disgusting? If you are, don't answer."
Haru obediently shut his mouth.
Yukino scoffed and turned away in disgust.
Utaha, meanwhile, sighed and rubbed her forehead. Why do I even like this guy…?
Since the three of them had different routes home, Utaha parted ways with them at an intersection.
It wasn't until then that Haru voiced his lingering suspicion. "You were the one who suggested the whole chess thing, weren't you?"
"You're so smart." Yukino's compliment was completely devoid of sincerity.
Haru frowned. "Why, though?"
"You said it yourself earlier—I'd 'torture' her."
"Come on, you're not the type to do something like that just for fun. That's my thing."
"You certainly have an accurate understanding of yourself."
Yukino nodded approvingly.
Haru was completely lost.
The last time he'd felt this way was during that ballroom dance on the cruise.
Back then, he'd sensed Yukino's unease, but even after all this time, she still hadn't given him any clues.
"Before you and Utaha arrived at the club today, Kato suddenly reminded me of something," Yukino said out of nowhere.
Haru played along. "Reminded you of what?"
Instead of answering, Yukino fixed him with a stare. "How well do you know Kato?"
"She completely counters me."
Hearing his response, Yukino actually seemed calm.
Given what she knew about Haru's personality, when it came to Kato, his usual joking style and sharp social skills didn't work. That "plain and unremarkable" girl was one of the few people who could disrupt his conversational flow.
Even Yukino herself couldn't say for sure that she could always control the rhythm around Kato.
"You're not telling me this so I can spy on her, are you?" Haru joked.
"What if I was?"
Haru straightened up and saluted. "Your problem is my mission, Commander Yukino. I'll carry it out with everything I've got."
"Great. Now I don't have to consider it anymore."
It had only been a passing thought; she would never actually do something like that.
Besides, the real issue was that she still wasn't sure how Kato felt about Haru.
After all, Kato had once said outright, 'I don't have any feelings for Amamiya.'
At the time, Yukino had studied her carefully and confirmed that she was telling the truth.
But as time passed and their interactions grew, Yukino had begun to question her own judgment.
Is she just that good at hiding it, or am I overthinking things?
For now, Yukino had no answer.
Haru's voice broke through her thoughts. "Wanna come over to my place today?"
Yukino didn't mind the sudden shift. "For what?"
"The usual. You teach me Spanish, I teach you Chinese."
"My Chinese is already quite proficient."
Hearing that, Haru switched to Chinese without missing a beat. "'Back then, I departed, the willow trees swayed. Now I return, snow drifts all around.'"
Yukino smirked. "You think I wouldn't recognize a passage from The Book of Songs?"
"You've read that too?"
Haru was, once again, surprised by her dedication to learning.
Yukino seemed to enjoy the look on his face, her smile radiant. "I've proven my proficiency. What about you?"
"I can read and write Pride and Prejudice in Spanish. Impressive, right?" Haru revealed his trump card.
"Not bad."
That was all the praise she offered.
Just as Haru was about to continue bragging, she suddenly said, "Let's go to your place."
"Huh? What made you change your mind?"
"I kind of miss Jelly."
"Oh, well, Jelly definitely misses you too. You always bring treats."
"You just reminded me—I should stop by the pet store for some snacks."
That Evening
Fresh out of the bath, Yukino sat contentedly in the living room, petting the cat.
Meanwhile, Haru, who had earlier bragged about his Spanish skills, was now pinned to the desk, forced to take study notes.
"This is ridiculous. I'm already so fluent, yet you still make me study," he muttered, deliberately loud enough for Yukino to hear from the couch.
"Diligence is the only way to prevent regression, and the key to improvement," she responded, clearly having anticipated his complaints.
"Oh, right, right. My massage skills also came from diligent practice."
"…Are you provoking me?"
"No, I'm agreeing with you."
As soon as he said that, Yukino set down the orange cat and walked toward her room.
Haru was puzzled.
After two seconds of contemplation, he decided to follow her.
But the moment he reached the doorway and took a peek inside, he froze.
Yukino was putting on stockings.
She had just slipped on one, leaving her other leg bare. The stark contrast between her pale, smooth skin and the sheer black stocking only made her fair complexion appear more delicate, while the leg in stockings exuded an elegant sensuality.
There's a saying online: Stockings are a woman's second skin.
For someone like Yukino, who had grown up in a well-off family with meticulous skincare and self-care routines, her skin was flawless—rosy, smooth, and carrying a faint, enticing fragrance.
"I knew you wouldn't behave."
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, but she remained calm as she put on the other stocking.
Haru, though deeply appreciative of how stunning she looked in stockings, was utterly confused. "What's with the sudden battle gear?"
"…What do you mean by 'battle gear'—wait, Haru!"
Halfway through her sentence, she realized what he meant, her expression shifting from confusion to mortification.
After all, when it came to their past experiences, wasn't it always about… attacking and… advancing?
Haru feigned ignorance. "What's wrong?"
Yukino shot him a glare, her waist swaying slightly as she brushed past him and walked out.
Haru trailed behind. "You still haven't told me why you're wearing stockings."
She didn't answer immediately. Instead, after settling onto the sofa, she deliberately chose the far-right seat—ensuring the coffee table wouldn't obstruct the view.
Then, she crossed her legs, picked up the orange cat, and asked, "Does it look good?"
"Do you even have to ask?" Haru countered.
A faint smile graced her lips. "Well, now that you've had your fill, you can go back to studying."
Haru froze. "This is cruel. How am I supposed to concentrate now?"
Yukino leaned back, lifting her legs slightly. Wrapped in sheer black stockings, her delicate toes curled playfully, resembling tiny, mischievous pearls under the warm light.
The side-sitting position only accentuated her leg line.
Haru sighed. "This move is too ruthless."
Yukino gave him an innocent look. "Could you move aside a little? You're blocking the TV."
Haru begrudgingly shifted two steps to the right.
Then, an idea struck him. His gaze landed on the cat nestled in her arms. "By the way, can I pet it?"
Yukino immediately saw through his scheme and gave him a look of disdain. "When you say 'it,' do you mean the cat, or my legs?"
Haru tossed the question back. "That's for you to think about."
"Thanks for the reminder. I'll give it some thought. Meanwhile, you should go study." Yukino's response was effortlessly dismissive.
Haru sighed and reluctantly returned to his desk, muttering under his breath.
Yukino, enjoying her small victory, deliberately asked, "What are you mumbling about?"
Haru grumbled, "I want to go to the kitchen, turn on the stove, and dice up some tomatoes into little pieces before tossing them in the pan to stir-fry… tomato."
"???"