Yuu 461-465

Title: Haruno, You’re Only at That Level Too

They had agreed to exchange information, yet if she weren’t a Sobu High alumna and Haruno didnusiones didn’t have other channels to learn what was happening around Tenkuji Yuu—at the very least, she’d never heard about these campus forum matters from Masuzu.

So unfair.

Clearly, Masuzu had no intention of cooperating sincerely. She only wanted to use her. Even the information shared was cherry-picked, and anything left out was dismissed as “accidentally forgotten.”

Haruno felt deeply offended and vehemently cursed such behavior.

Today’s youth—daring to deceive an innocent, honest college girl like her. Sob, sob, the world is unjust…

In terms of acting on whims and low morals, the two indeed had much in common.

In other words, Haruno had no intention of trusting Masuzu either.

After all, she’d already obtained the most critical intel. The girl’s remaining value was merely supplementary. If she vanished, it wouldn’t be a loss.

The biggest reason Haruno still maintained contact was that she didn’t want to waste anything—the current situation was murky. For now, she didn’t know what to do to make her Yuu loyal only to her like before. Nor did she know how many others were in the same boat.

One card in hand was one card. To secure final victory, Haruno was mentally prepared to use every means, fair or foul.

Of course, that included using Masuzu as a pure tool and squeezing out her last drop of value.

“Masuzu-chan, do you know about their filming?”

“You only found out today? Same with yesterday’s forum stuff? Hehe, I’m not online much… No worries, I’ll explain it to you~”

“Exactly… Judging from this incomplete PV, I’d say the main film isn’t finished shooting. Seeing them having fun—don’t you want to meddle?”

“Asking me why? Isn’t it simple?”

Haruno smiled. Her tone teasing, she whispered into the mic: “If you arrive too late, there won’t be a spot left by his side.”

“Besides, you never intended to heed my earlier warning. Then forget it. Stick to him 24/7. Maybe you’ll recover your memories soon?”

“…” The other side fell silent for a moment. Uncharacteristically, Masuzu spoke in a normal tone: “You want to stir chaos and profit while others fight.”

“Hmm? You get it~” Slightly surprised, Haruno kept her casual air: “But one thing’s wrong—Yuu-chan has been mine from the start. I just didn’t chase off all those thieving cats because I considered his feelings.”

“This isn’t profiting—it’s self-defense.”

Masuzu sneered: “So you plan to use me to mess things up, then kick me out sooner or later? You really don’t hide your malice.”

Haruno laughed indifferently: “Please call it clever strategy—conveniently, a stage opportunity appeared. Even if I didn’t say it, you wouldn’t let it pass.”

“Then why not stay the puppet master behind the scenes? Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell him everything you said?”

“Not scared. He knows how much I love him. He won’t mind this little thing with me.” As if flaunting, as if pitying, Haruno sighed softly: “You’re different, Natsukawa-san who remembers nothing…”

“Rushing to him, even trying to meddle in the Service Club trio’s emotional bonds—I’m afraid you’ll only face worse rejection than a forced kiss.”

“It’d be better if you kept observing, but just watching, you don’t know when you’ll close the distance. It’s time you felt anxious.”

“Watching his bond with Yuigahama-san and Yukinoshita-san grow stronger, while you—empty-handed—can only harbor leftover feelings, like a gutter rat crawling on the ground, staring at cheese on a high stage. Isn’t that pitiful and painful?”

Word by word, as if to split her heart, tear open wounds, sprinkle salt, and torment thoroughly—she grew happier as she spoke. Haruno even chuckled without hiding it. Cold malice spread with her voice.

Masuzu didn’t respond. She seemed at a loss for words—or too lazy to entertain arrogant Haruno.

She suddenly shifted tone. Her voice became friendly and soft: “But for now, at least, you and I are on the same side.”

“I’m giving you a reason to approach him. How far you go depends on your skill… Though I doubt you can beat the two by his side, who knows unless you try?”

“If you actually succeed, I might have to call you Sensei.”

The words slowly faded. Haruno waited for a reply.

“Done talking?” Strangely, Masuzu’s tone barely changed.

Haruno raised a brow: “Done. How about it?”

“Very immersive. I’m anxious now.” Masuzu added with utmost seriousness: “It feels exactly like a personal emotional journey. I don’t want to repeat the same mistake and end up with that tragic fate.”

Haruno gripped her phone tightly. She warned herself inwardly to stay calm and not get angry easily. This girl wasn’t worth it.

“No more talk. I’ll take it as agreement. Remember to do what I said.”

“Relax. It’s not my first time. I’m skilled at this.” For some reason, Masuzu smiled with deep meaning: “Honestly, I originally thought Haruno-san was cunning, calculating—a sage with everything under control. Liking the same person as someone like that would even trouble me. I even thought the worst future outcome might be never becoming his lover.”

“Then what? Did I disappoint you?”

Haruno immediately raised her voice. She had no idea where the other got the nerve to speak so condescendingly.

But Masuzu continued in a teasing, indifferent tone: “How dare I~ After all, you could have your father drag me back to Sweden anytime, and I’d have no way to control you.”

“True. But you sound very confident. Why? Found a weakness of mine that doesn’t exist?”

Haruno slowly walked to the window edge. She gazed far into the night beyond the fence. Her eyes glittered like cold stars.

Then, Masuzu’s still-smiling voice reached her ear through the earpiece.

“I don’t need that. Knowing one thing is enough.”

“Haruno, in the end—you’re just like me. Only at that level.”

Haruno unconsciously opened her mouth. But before she could speak, she was cut off for the first time. She surrendered the conversation’s rhythm to the other.

“Consider me your junior—here’s one last piece of advice.”

Masuzu said calmly: “People who plan everything but end up with nothing are everywhere. If you laugh so smugly now, one day if you lose, others will laugh even louder than you are now.”

“Mmm, at least I will. See you. Good night.”

After speaking, she hung up immediately.

“…”

The cold wind seemed to freeze the hair on her shoulders. The starless, moonless night sky looked ready to collapse.

The call ended, but Haruno still stood behind the balcony railing. She stood motionless like a statue for a long time.

Who knows how long passed—her pale palm suddenly loosened. The phone fell straight to the yard below, making a dull thud.

She didn’t look and had no intention of retrieving it. She turned and walked straight back inside.

The glass door shut tight. The glass isolated the lonely cold wind outside. The heater wrapped her chilled fingertips.

Only after stepping in did she realize the inside and outside felt like two different worlds.

And Haruno felt the outside world had nothing to do with her.

Because the warmth in her memories still bloomed in her chest. Sooner or later, she would reclaim everything that was hers.

She never doubted any other possibility.

Even so—

“Satisfied or not—if only I had that luxury…”

The girl’s sigh slowly fell to the floor.

In the lawn below, the cracked screen flickered. There was a teenage boy’s profile picture and an unpressed call button.

The next second, everything was swallowed by the starless, moonless night.

-

Title: A Guy Cooler and Stronger Than Blue-Eyes White Dragon?

Winter isn’t a season for frequent rain.

The next day, a clear sky oversaw dry branches and fallen leaves. Cold, dry wind blew through the corridors, wandering every corner of campus.

The school building seemed to enter hibernation. Classes were quiet. Even during breaks, there was less noise and energy than usual.

In the hallways, Cultural Festival-related items were everywhere—fruits of students’ hard work for the big day.

Class 2-J.

Of course, the heater wasn’t always on for students inside. At best, all doors and windows were tightly shut, letting natural body heat fend off some of the finger-freezing chill.

After the class rep announced Cultural Festival info, the break bell for class meetings rang. Temporary silence left the room. Even the International Liberal Arts class wasn’t immune to noise and bustle during downtime. Some students started moving around.

Second-to-last seat, back row.

Yukino sat calmly. Her long lashes gently drooped. Even just brushing hair aside, she looked like a green lotus by a pond—beauty of morning breeze and evening glow. It made passersby glance several times.

And she always carried that natural composure, as if used to being the center of attention. Her pale, slender fingers lightly pinched the book page. Her large, bright pupils moved up and down with the text. She remained unaffected by any movement in class.

Whenever Yukino immersed herself in a book, her focus and seriousness gave others the feeling she lived in a different world. Even the air around her seemed rarer, as if she was born to be exceptional.

This was precisely why she had no close friends—barely any acquaintances. Though they were elite kids in International Liberal Arts, everyone unconsciously kept distance. Forget bothering her—even passing by, they reflexively lowered their voices, afraid to disturb her tranquil, separate world.

Of course, Yukino was hard to approach. Though most Class J didn’t dislike her—some even revered her as class mascot and symbol—no one dared come chat one or two sentences with her all day, aside from school matters.

At most, they gossiped about her behind the class.

“I heard it was just a misunderstanding. Yukinoshita-san isn’t dating him at all…”

“Really? Thank goodness. I thought our Goddess Yukinoshita would be tainted by that rotten guy…”

“But boldly claiming in front of everyone, using ‘joking’ as an excuse, that Yukinoshita-san is his girlfriend—honestly, I feel Tenkuji from Class F clearly has ill intentions toward her…”

“Wait, honestly, as a pure outsider—Tenkuji-kun isn’t some shallow guy who only cares about looks. I feel he acts that way with everyone. Hope you judge him fairly.”

“Still calling yourself a pure outsider. You’re obviously a fan club member. You were definitely among those upvoting yesterday’s post!”

“Besides, if we’re talking fair judgment—someone who can call anyone his girlfriend is way worse.”

“…Fine, I’ll be honest. With Tenkuji-sama’s—cough—with Tenkuji-kun’s merits, even if he did have ill intentions toward Yukinoshita-san, it’s fine. Can you bear seeing your idol God and Goddess stay single forever and never find happiness?”

“Wuaah~ This guy’s not just a fanatic—he’s a CP shipper…”

“No hiding it. Show your fan card… Damn (Japanese), you’re already Level Five Boss!?”

“Huh? You get it! Join the club now—merch discount! Need me to introduce you to our cool, strong idol, Tenkuji-kun?”

“Heh, cooler and stronger than Blue-Eyes White Dragon?”

“Come on, come on. Listen first—you’ll see if his attack power exceeds 3000…”

Yukino stopped eavesdropping. The sermon scene was truly cringe, and she didn’t get Blue-Eyes White Dragon anyway.

Her slightly twitching ears calmed. Her fingers slid from the long-unturned page. She sighed softly.

“Looks like it worked…”

Just one night’s effort achieved this? Yukino still found it hard to believe.

The rumor she thought would spread fast had changed direction even faster. From arriving at school to the start of class meetings, basically no one looked at her as “Tenkuji Yuu’s girlfriend” anymore.

Not even nuclear wastewater was this efficient.

Yukino frowned, thinking. Only then did she conclude—Yuu must have used some method to accelerate this.

For example, asking fan club members to control comments. Or coming to school early and paying people to promote things on the forum.

In some ways, Yuu was very like his older sister. When acting, he wasn’t rigid about honesty but didn’t hesitate to use any means to achieve his goal.

Yet clearly, he was gentler than Haruno—always considering ways not to cause trouble for everyone.

Thus, even though the main film wasn’t finished, Yuu’s cheating scandal vanished before forming. Gossip about them was cleared. And news of him dating Yuigahama would likely spread from Class F unannounced, gradually reaching the whole school—like now.

This sudden minor incident ended here, thanks to timely handling. The rest was cleanup.

As she secretly sighed in relief, Yukino noticed a strange, unclear feeling suddenly rising in her heart. It kept her from fully feeling happy.

Regret? Dissatisfaction? Loss? It seemed to have all, yet none…

Why?

This was her first time feeling this. For now, she couldn’t name it. But she also feared naming it—she might not accept the answer.

Her heart was confused. Yukino judged it wasn’t the right time to read. She closed the book and—unusually—took out her phone during break.

She didn’t play games or read e-books. Her phone’s main uses were contacting family and searching info. Usually, it stayed off in her bag, turned on only after school to check messages.

But lately, Yukino had grown used to opening her phone and checking the group chat when idle—no doubt influenced by her two most important friends.

The pleasant green interface opened. LINE text flashed. At the top group chat, after about an hour, over ten unread messages appeared again.

“Same class, yet still using group chat. These two really…” She curved her lips, amused and helpless. Just as she was about to open the chat to see what they were saying again.

Accompanied by a fresh, natural scent, a shadow fell before her. In the corner of her eye, she glimpsed silver hair. White indoor shoes stopped firmly beside her seat.

Her movement paused slightly. She turned off the screen as if nothing happened.

Yukino slipped the phone into her drawer. She looked up at the visitor and asked calmly:

“What do you need, Natsukawa-san?”

Natsukawa Masuzu.

She still couldn’t forget the person in front of her once trying to force-kiss Yuu.

Thus, unconsciously, a hint of hostility entered Yukino’s gaze toward Masuzu. Her expression grew colder and more indifferent.

-

Title: Yukinoshita, Your Big Sister Has Delusional Disorder (Whispered)

“Good morning, Yukinoshita-san.”

First, Masuzu casually greeted Yukino. Then she raised a brow and smiled: “I’ve never bothered you. Why do I feel your hostility toward this classmate isn’t small?”

“Of course. Tenkuji-kun is a member of our club…” Yukino paused, staring calmly: “He’s also one of my friends. You did that to him in front of me—did you expect me to roll out a red carpet?”

“Of course not.” Masuzu brushed her long hair over her shoulder. She spoke calmly, still smiling: “I don’t regret what I did then. Nor do I care if you hate me—like how you don’t care about others’ opinions… In that sense, we’re actually quite similar.”

“I don’t think so.”

Yukino didn’t hold back. She stated plainly: “I don’t know what you went through to become abnormal since that day… But I don’t want to be lumped in with your type, and I don’t feel we have any similarities.”

“Abnormal? That’s an overstatement—though I agree.”

Masuzu grinned. The sticky, hollow laugh reached Yukino’s ears, making her frown. She recoiled slightly as a chill crawled over her body.

Masuzu ignored her disgust—and the curious glances from classmates around them.

She only stared deeply at Yukino. A clear yet eerie voice—like pine needles in the wind—sounded softly before her:

“I know we don’t like each other. We didn’t before, and even more now… So I’m just here to make a deal with you.”

“…A deal?”

Though she knew ignoring her was best, hearing this, Yukino couldn’t help asking in confusion.

Masuzu nodded and smiled: “Exactly. You’re curious—why I was in your big sister’s car that day.”

“Wasn’t it just a coincidence drop-off after dinner? Who’d be curious about that.”

“Really that simple? You should’ve realized—she’s secretly doing a lot behind your back.”

“So what? My sister doesn’t need to report anything to me…” Yukino frowned uneasily. Her tone grew firmer.

“Natsukawa-san, if you have something to say, say it directly. Class starts in two or three minutes. I’m not interested in riddles with you.”

“Haaah, you sisters are the same. Start panicking once your secrets are exposed.” Masuzu sneered, sounding slightly bored.

“The riddle is the deal—I’ll give you info about you that your sister definitely won’t tell you, and you just help me a little. How’s that—profitable?”

Recalling her earlier talk with Haruno, Masuzu couldn’t help sneering.

History is always so similar.

Meanwhile, Yukino stared. Her first words weren’t rejection but a question: “Why should I trust you?”

“Because I have no choice.” Masuzu shrugged, unbothered: “Tenkuji-kun is definitely avoiding me now. Yui-san must resent me for that incident… I know I reap what I sow, but I’m not giving up. I still have to try.”

So she chose Yukino. She seemed the least approachable—but actually the highest-success breakthrough among the three.

Did Haruno, pulling strings behind the scenes, ever expect her to come straight to the little sister to negotiate?

Thinking this, Masuzu felt oddly pleased.

“Not giving up… You mean you still want to go after Tenkuji-kun?”

Yukino’s gaze turned icy. She glared in annoyance, speaking word by word: “Listen carefully. The Yui-san you mentioned is his girlfriend!”

“Even if your morals are low enough to steal someone’s boyfriend, don’t assume everyone is that low—do you think I’d agree to let you meddle in their relationship just for some vague secret?”

“Wait, Yukinoshita, are you misunderstanding?” Masuzu raised her hands, defending calmly: “I didn’t say you have to help me break them up. Don’t accuse people carelessly.”

With lips pressed tight, Yukino’s expression stayed cold and silent.

“Well, I’m not surprised you’d think that…” Masuzu sighed, rubbing her forehead in exasperation. She also laughed self-mockingly: “But honestly, I’d rather see them together. I hope they find happiness in each other—I know this thought is disgusting and totally unfit for someone like me who hates romance, but who knows? It suddenly appeared in my heart, like an idiot, heh.”

“…”

She seemed to see genuine emotion on her face. Yukino was slightly shocked. After a moment, her silent expression softened a bit.

“Then why did you do that to him that day?”

Masuzu thought for a second. Her fingers pointed to her soft lips: “Because my body instinctively craved him? At that moment, my whole mind just wanted to be one with him—I didn’t think much else.”

“Be… one?” Realizing, Yukino’s pale face adorably flushed. She took a slow breath, exhaling like a sigh: “I can’t understand why you’d have such a lewd reaction. But overall, the deal you want with me—has nothing to do with Tenkuji-kun and the others?”

“It does.”

Masuzu admitted. Her elegant, confident smile bloomed again.

Though it held no emotion—like a smiling mask—Yukino heard pure, stubborn longing in her voice.

An emotion deeper than anyone’s, born from having lost something.

“I want to be closer to him—even if I can only watch him and Yui-san be affectionate and loving. That’s better, actually… As long as I can stay by his side, I don’t care what price I pay.”

In just this sentence, there was no hesitation.

“You…”

As if not understanding, Yukino opened her mouth. She stared in shock at the beautiful half-foreign girl before her, who seemed utterly serious.

She unconsciously wanted to say something—but suddenly felt advice or scolding would be useless.

In her eyes, there was only one light, unshaken by anyone’s will.

So she could only comment:

“Natsukawa-san, you’re more abnormal than I imagined…”

“For me, love is the greatest abnormality.” Masuzu said cheerfully. She enjoyed Yukino’s helpless sigh.

“Yukinoshita, trust me for now. Just give me one chance to get close to him. Whether I can stay by his side in the future—I’ll handle myself. You don’t need to overthink.”

“Even if you say that…”

Noticing her stance wavering, Masuzu’s lips curved slightly. She suddenly stepped closer, bringing her lips to the girl’s ear, exhaling softly.

“Then I’ll pay the deposit first.”

Black and silver hair crossed and overlapped at their chests. Pale cheeks pressed together, almost kissing.

Before Yukino could react and pull back, Masuzu chuckled and began to speak:

“Your big sister has delusional disorder. She keeps saying Tenkuji Yuu is her boyfriend.”

“Last night, she even asked me to sabotage his relationship with Yui-san…”

Yukino’s body froze in her seat. Her eyes widened in shock.

-

Title: After Being Pranked, Could She Cry for a Really Long Time?

Since the newly bought camera hadn’t arrived, after discussing with Iroha and Kanade, Yuu continued using the Film Research Club’s equipment for shooting.

Before lunch break, he’d finished writing the script for today’s after-school shoot. He planned to bring it to the Service Club during lunch and discuss it with Yukino and the others—would this process repeat a few times?

Yuu wasn’t sure; after all, it was his first time directing and shooting a short film with two beautiful girls. He was a complete rookie with no experience in any aspect.

But when it came to controlling comments, he was already quite skilled—a veteran driver, you could say.

The incident had only happened about a day ago. Using his wits, network, and a bit of money, he’d completely quelled the storm before it grew. The price? Just spending after-school time with friends and acting in a laugh-filled short drama, enjoying a different Cultural Festival vibe.

A bit troublesome, but luckily everyone enjoyed making the film together. In the end, they might even forget the original purpose and just aim to make the final result better, right?

A world where no one got hurt—smoothly resolved. Yuu even wanted to pat himself on the back and praise his own brilliance.

The atmosphere in Class 2-F today was far better than yesterday.

High schoolers’ minds shift easily. Through forum posts and various channels, many took the initiative to talk to him this morning—more enthusiastically than before.

Not apologizing or anything—just showing friendliness this way, distancing themselves from those who doubted his cheating.

The higher his status in class, the more people cared about his thoughts and avoided offending him—even if they couldn’t be friends, they mustn’t be hated by Yuu.

Unless they were sure they could beat him or outsmart him.

In this small school society, their thinking wasn’t too complex. Most acted on instinct and experience. Some careless ones even slapped his shoulder and said:

“Tenkuji, I knew you’re not a two-timer! I watched your confession scene in the video. That wasn’t acting—it came from a sincere heart, right? Hahaha, make our class’s Yuigahama happy!”

Yuu could only laugh dryly, speechless. He really didn’t want to entertain such overly familiar types.

(Who I date is none of your business, right?)

(Even if I was cheating—dating three, four, five, six, seven people—as long as it’s not you I’m cheating on, wouldn’t it be better to stay quiet? Can’t you learn corporate slave maturity theory and not cause trouble for others?)

Yuu truly felt, just once, what it was like to be the center of massive attention.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

After repeatedly confirming with Yuigahama, during a certain break, Yumiko walked to his seat with an annoyed face. She looked him up and down.

“If it was just acting, why’d you say to me, ‘What if I like both?’ Were you looking down on me? Or was that your real thought?”

“I don’t hate Yukinoshita, but I also don’t feel the need to explain our trio’s relationship to you.”

Yuu answered with a smile. He looked at her face, anger flaring again—this emotional big-sister type should probably visit a shrine to calm down sooner or later.

“Once you have a certain view of me, anything I say becomes an excuse. The more I say, the more embarrassing Yui’s position… So as long as you’re on the opposing side, you can protect Yui better.”

Yuu shrugged casually: “We both completed our roles perfectly—you worked hard yesterday, Miura-san.”

“…”

Yumiko glared fiercely. She seemed to want to spit harsh words to crush this guy’s arrogance. But she also seemed to be faking strength, unwilling to admit the sudden thought after hearing this: he’s not a bad person.

Her signature hair-twirling habit appeared again.

“Hmph, makes no sense. Who understands what you’re saying!”

“I’m too lazy to deal with your business. Don’t cause trouble for me and Hina… Yui’s our friend. Any stupid mess you make will drag us in.”

“Fine. Sorry about my last words—I didn’t know the situation!”

After leaving some stiff, harsh words, the blonde twin-drill queen stomped off.

Yuu watched her dominant, strong-backed figure—ignoring everyone like a queen. A somewhat inappropriate thought suddenly popped up.

(A tough-on-the-outside woman like this is usually super fragile inside. If pranked hard, she could probably cry for a really long time.)

If Yumiko were a villain, Yuu would happily push her to tears without any psychological burden.

Too bad she wasn’t.

To Yui, she was probably just as important a friend as the others, right?

Yui’s friends were his friends. Yuu had no interest in pranking his friend to tears.

…If the target were Yukino, undeniably, he’d actually kind of want to see it.

But thinking about it, he somehow felt sorry.

“Yuu-kun, Yumiko didn’t cause you trouble, did she?”

Yuigahama approached, cutting off his chaotic thoughts.

Yuu shook his head. At the same time, he banished all those images from his mind: “She came to apologize, I think. Though she’s a bit hot-tempered, she’s a straightforward good person—and similar to you.”

“Hehehe, Yumiko’s my best friend~” Yuigahama scratched her cheek shyly. For some reason, she puffed out her chest proudly: “There’s a saying, right? Birds of a feather flock together! Both Yukinon and Yumiko are good people, so we can be friends!”

As if suddenly understanding, Yuu nodded: “Got it. So I’m not a good person.”

“Eh? …Ah!! Yuu-kun, I didn’t mean that! I was just talking about girl friends…” Realizing, Yuigahama panicked and tried to explain. But halfway, she puffed her cheeks and glared angrily.

“Wrong—Yuu-kun deliberately twisting people’s words is the real bad guy!”

Yuu remained unfazed: “I never said I was a good guy. Glad you can judge me correctly.”

“…Just a little naughty with girls.” Seeing him admit it so honestly, Yuigahama—slightly sympathetic—softened her tone and pouted: “Basically, Yuu-kun is definitely a super gentle good guy. But sometimes he acts like a total Dom and thinks up tons of evil ideas… Anyway, to me, he’s a good guy!”

“Alright, alright. Keep talking and I’ll blush.” Thick-skinned Yuu smiled and patted the slightly bowed girl’s head.

“Let’s go to the Service Club for lunch. We’ll start shooting the first scene after school today.”

The ponytail girl’s eyes sparkled. She clenched her small fists enthusiastically.

“Roger that, Director! Yuigahama Yui—always 100% ready!”

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Soon after, the lunch break bell rang.

Yuu, carrying his bento, spotted an unexpected figure in the Service Club.

-

Title: There’s No Way a Pervert Would Add Weird Stuff to Cookies!

Not just Yuu—even Yuigahama froze at the classroom doorway in shock.

“Masuzu, why are you…”

“Good afternoon, Yui-san, Tenkuji-san.”

Masuzu gently nodded toward them. She smiled softly and warmly like a spring breeze. Her voice was friendly: “Sorry for coming unannounced. Must be surprising.”

“Uh, it is surprising, but you’re still welcome…” Recovering, Yuigahama instinctively stepped forward. As she entered the clubroom, she deliberately—and unintentionally—blocked Yuu behind her.

Masuzu sharply noticed the move but only smiled, unbothered. She didn’t even glance at Yuu, openly staring at Yuigahama instead.

“Though two weeks have passed, I’m mainly here to repay your kindness from before.”

“Repay?”

Yuigahama’s mouth fell open in shock. She nearly blurted: “Your repayment is trying to force-kiss the guy I like in front of me?!”

Honestly, even Dio wasn’t this extreme back then! At least he didn’t force-kiss Erina in front of Jonathan!

Still, Yuigahama didn’t harbor hostility toward Masuzu. She still considered her a friend at heart… If the attack had succeeded that day, her mindset might be different now.

Of course, she still had to stay vigilant.

She’d stopped it last time. Who knows if Yuu might react differently next time?

No normal girl wants to see her boyfriend kiss another girl—though, if it were Yukino, Yuigahama thought she might endure it for a bit.

Thinking this, she suddenly gained deeper insight into how her character was starting to warp.

“Yes, this small token of gratitude isn’t much, but please accept it.”

Without explaining her reaction, Masuzu simply pulled two small cookie packs from her school bag. She sincerely offered them with both hands. Her eyes showed a flicker of fear and hope.

“Homemade cookies. They should taste decent. If you don’t mind, how about trying them and giving feedback?”

Both reaching for the cookies froze, showing identical shocked expressions.

“Homemade?”

Yuigahama was shocked—the cookies from fairy-princess-like Masuzu looked delicious. The packaging was beautiful, basically no different from store-bought.

But thinking again, even elegant, Yamato Nadeshiko-like Yukino was a cooking expert. So it wasn’t strange for this noble lady to make cookies.

Meanwhile, Yuu was shocked: Could Masuzu’s homemade cookies actually be edible?

His first doubt was her skill. From memories of those fifty days, Masuzu—who hated eating and never cooked—had zero cooking ability. Her lower limit arguably surpassed Yuigahama’s—expecting her to make cookies was less likely than fixing a nutrient jelly recipe.

Precisely because of this, past Masuzu was self-aware and never touched kitchen tools. She seemed aware eating matters were left to him.

Meaning, unless a miracle happened, these cookies were definitely store-bought—or pretty outside but tasting worse than strawberry-flavored rotten tofu.

Of course, Yuu considered another possibility.

If in these two weeks, Masuzu had practiced hard to thank them and succeeded in making two packs of tasty, edible cookies—

He still couldn’t eat them calmly. He’d inevitably worry if non-standard ingredients were added.

Not poison, of course—but weird fluids, weird hairs, weird spells, weird potions, etc. After eating, they might “unite” in their stomachs.

Just imagining it was horrifying.

Yuu knew doubting his ex like this was excessive.

Besides the post-amnesia forced kiss attempt, Masuzu hadn’t done anything bad. Why act like a delusional victim and suspect her with maximum malice?

Think carefully—past Masuzu wasn’t a yandere. She’d only sneer at overly perverted acts like this.

But what could he do? Despite finding so many excuses, Yuu’s hand reaching for the cookies hung in the air. He hesitated, unable to move an inch.

This sharply contrasted with Yuigahama happily taking hers nearby, thanking Masuzu with a beaming smile.

Seeing their attitude difference, Masuzu slightly bowed her head. The light in her eyes vanished momentarily.

Then she inhaled. She bit her soft lower lip. She lifted her beautiful face again. Smiling as if nothing happened, she admitted frankly: “Sorry, I lied.”

“I can’t make cookies at all. I queued at a highly reviewed shop and bought these. I still have the receipt. Want to see if you’re unsure?”

By the end, her tone carried a hint of pleading and pity. She carefully extended the cookies. Her fingertips even trembled slightly.

At this point, Yuu could only sigh and blame his soft heart. He comforted himself—this was just accepting a thank-you gift; no need for so much inner drama.

Right, perverts who add weird stuff to cookies and give them to others don’t exist in real life!

“No need. I just don’t like sweets much.”

Seeing Yuu accept, Masuzu’s eyes instantly sparkled—like a clear blue sky after winter rain.

Her lips curved. Unable to contain her joy, she told him: “Don’t worry! I know you dislike sweets, so I purposely chose coffee flavor. Not too sweet.”

“I see, you really thought this through…”

Yuu nodded instinctively and thanked her. Immediately after, he realized—

(Wait, damn. You have amnesia—how do you still know I hate sweets?!)

But before he could glare suspiciously, the beautiful long-black-haired girl still sitting by the window cleared her throat softly. The cute little cough drew his attention.

“Don’t stand there—let’s sit and eat lunch first.” Yukino paused. She showed a hard-to-describe hesitant expression.

“There are a few things I need to explain to you both.”

Yuigahama, who’d been watching their interaction, couldn’t help staring at Yukino in confusion.

“Explain? So Yukinon brought Masuzu here? Masuzu has a request for the Service Club?”

Yukino rubbed her brow. She looked slightly dizzy—or unsure how to explain to her.

“Well, I suppose you could say that…”