Chapter 102 - 102: The Yukinoshita Sisters Find the Key Point

"Hello, Kato-san~" Just as Megumi Kato was about to head home, she was intercepted by Haruno, who greeted her with a bright smile. She only hesitated for a moment before glancing at the two people standing behind Haruno—Yukino and Haru. Understanding the situation, she politely greeted all three of them. She adjusted so quickly! Haruno was slightly surprised but didn't show it on her face. She was beginning to believe what Yukino had said about Megumi. She really wasn't as ordinary as she appeared to be. After Haruno explained the purpose of their visit and extended an invitation, Megumi accepted without any hesitation. "I'd also like to see firsthand how the post-production of the movie I starred in is being handled." As she got into the car, there was a faint sense of anticipation in her demeanor. Since the back seat was now occupied by two girls, Haru naturally took the front passenger seat. Haruno glanced at the rearview mirror—both Megumi and Yukino sat quietly, not engaging in conversation. It was as if they were playing a silent game where the first to speak would lose. She gave Haru a look: It's your turn. Haru chuckled helplessly and broke the silence. "Kato, were you just with Senpai?" "Mm, if you had arrived five minutes earlier, you would have seen her," Megumi answered honestly. "Five minutes? So you were keeping track of the time?" Haruno asked casually. Megumi maintained her friendly demeanor. "Since you greeted us earlier, I was wondering if you might turn around and come back to find us… You seemed quite interested in us." As she spoke, she glanced at Yukino, who was listening intently. "But I didn't expect you to come back with Amamiya-kun and Yukino-san." "Smart girl," Haruno praised with a smile. "But I'm not that much older than you, so you don't have to be so formal with me." "Got it, Haruno-san." At that moment, Yukino spoke up. "You and Senpai were discussing the script?" Megumi looked a little surprised. "How did you know that, Yukinoshita-san?" "Because Senpai often gets absorbed in developing character settings when she's at the club. Since you're one of the protagonists, it makes sense that she'd discuss it with you." "That makes sense." Megumi nodded but added, "But the main reason she asked me out today was to treat me to something as thanks for a favor I did for her." Haru remained calm as he listened. He knew exactly what she was referring to. And that made him admire Megumi's composure even more. Even while being scrutinized by the sharp gazes of the Yukinoshita sisters, she remained perfectly calm. Once the conversation had started, it naturally flowed, though most of the talking was done by Haru and Haruno. Yukino mostly listened, occasionally chiming in. Megumi, on the other hand, was simple—she only answered when asked. She seemed very honest, yet the way she answered ensured that important details never got left out. When the car arrived at the company building, Haru led the way inside. It was Megumi's first time here, and she couldn't help but glance around every few steps. Haruno, smiling like a dutiful tour guide, was actually observing her closely. The group eventually reached the editing studio and took their seats. Yukino and Haru sat next to the staff, engaging in discussions about the post-production process. Meanwhile, Haruno turned her head toward Megumi, who was sitting beside her, watching the editing process with curious eyes. Earlier, as they entered, Haruno had momentarily looked away to join the discussion. By the time she turned back, Megumi had already quietly followed Haru and Yukino to sit among the staff. This makes no sense! For the second time, Haruno found herself thinking that Megumi was far from normal. She had encountered low-presence individuals before—those quiet, unremarkable students from her school days. But the way Megumi blended into the background was completely different. "Haruno-san, why do you keep staring at me?" Megumi asked, tilting her head slightly. Haruno studied her pale, delicate face and smiled casually. "Have you ever noticed your own situation?" "If you're talking about my presence—Amamiya-kun can always find me easily." "Hm? Haru can do that?" "Yes. He told me that once people get familiar with me, it won't be a problem anymore. He also said I shouldn't overthink it or let it bother me." As Megumi spoke, her gaze unconsciously drifted toward Haru, who was focused on his work. Haruno wanted to say she didn't believe it. But her instincts and logic both told her Megumi wasn't lying. Unless her deception skills were so advanced that even Haruno couldn't detect them, there wasn't a single hint of a lie. Having been groomed as the heir to her family since childhood, Haruno rarely experienced moments like this—where she felt mentally exhausted. Her ability to read people was what gave her confidence and control in most situations. But when she couldn't see through someone, she had no way to take the initiative. She must have gone through something significant recently. Haruno glanced at Haru and Yukino. Who had influenced Megumi's change? When she snapped out of her thoughts, she realized Megumi had already moved to stand behind Yukino. "What if we start the movie with an audio montage?" Haru greeted Megumi before diving back into work. "An audio montage?" Yukino considered the idea. Haru gestured toward Megumi, who was clearly paying close attention. "The opening scene features Kato, and she has a monologue. Instead of showing visuals right away, why don't we start with just the audio? That way, we give the audience more space to imagine." Megumi instinctively responded, "But right after my monologue, the scene shifts to the school setting. Are you sure you want to hold back the visuals?" Haru smiled. "We can enhance the background chatter of the students to establish that the story starts in a school. Once those voices fade, the camera can lock onto you." "Great idea," Yukino agreed without hesitation. She was familiar with such artistic techniques. "If we introduce the movie through sound first, the audience will be immersed in the setting before they even see anything." Having been studying filmmaking recently, Megumi softly asked, "Wouldn't that create a preconception?" "It would," Yukino confirmed. "From what Haru has taught me and the books I've read, film relies heavily on separating sound from visuals. How a director uses sound is a key test of their skill." Megumi nodded thoughtfully, glancing at Haru once more. Yukinoshita-san still has a long way to catch up to him. No wonder even someone as talented as Senpai feels frustrated around these two. But at least, thanks to Senpai, I've found my own path. The three of them quickly became absorbed in their discussion, leaving Haruno sitting alone, bored. She picked up the coffee a staff member had brought her, but instead of drinking, she simply stared at Megumi's back. Is she deliberately using her interest in post-production to avoid me, or is she genuinely focused on improving herself? Under her watchful gaze, Megumi remained fully engaged—listening intently, contributing without hesitation. There was no chance for Haruno to pull her aside for a private conversation without being rude or disruptive. Of course, post-production wasn't something that could be completed in a single day. They stayed until after five before finally leaving. Haru suggested having dinner together, but the Yukinoshita sisters declined first. "I've learned a lot today—I need to go home and organize my thoughts," Yukino explained. "I have to head back too, but I think I'll stop by Yukino's place first," Haruno added, though she wasn't being entirely truthful. Since they both refused, Megumi naturally chose to go home as well. Not that she would've minded going with Haru. The four of them parted ways. At the Yukinoshita Household As soon as they stepped inside, Yukino bent down to change her shoes and asked calmly, "Did you notice anything?" She was referring to Megumi Kato. Haruno let out a small sigh, as if in mild exasperation. "I've never seen someone quite like her." "I only met someone like her after getting to know her myself," Yukino agreed. "But I did pick up on something." That one sentence immediately caught Yukino's attention. "Alright," Haruno said leisurely. "I know you're curious—let's sit down and talk." Unlike her impatient younger sister, Haruno took her time. The two of them settled into the living room, and Haruno casually picked up a biscuit from the table, taking a small bite. "That girl is hard to read," she said softly. "But one thing I'm sure of—she's been through something important recently." Yukino frowned slightly. "What do you mean?" Hearing the word 'important', the first person that came to Yukino's mind was Haru. Haruno spoke slowly. "When I first met her, I didn't pay much attention. But I do remember—she wasn't as composed as she was today." Yukino blinked, recalling their earlier encounters. Now that she thought about it, her sister was right—she had overlooked this detail. Compared to when Megumi first joined the film club, she had clearly grown. But because she was so unassuming, hardly anyone had noticed. Yukino suddenly recalled something Haru had once said: 'Keep growing in the shadows—then amaze everyone.' Haruno's voice brought her back to the present. "In your club, who interacts with her more—you, or Haru?" Yukino answered seriously, "I do, more often than not." "And in private?" "In private, it should be Kasumigaoka Senpai… Wait a second." The two sisters exchanged glances, reaching the same conclusion at the same time. Haruno chuckled. "So, the person who influenced her change—it's neither you nor Haru. It's Kasumigaoka Utaha." Yukino's expression turned serious. She was well aware of the relationship between Utaha and Haru. If the person responsible for Megumi Katou's transformation was Senpai, then this was a much bigger issue than she had anticipated. Who could say for sure that Megumi wasn't aware of Senpai's… indiscretions? Yukino lifted her gaze and, in a complicated tone, thanked her sister. But Haruno simply shook her head. "There's an old saying in chinese—'The one in the game is lost, while the spectator sees clearly.' It's always been this way." Yukino hummed in agreement. As the person caught in the situation, she had indeed overlooked this. She suddenly realized that even Haru himself might not be aware of Megumi's change. "Should we find a chance to invite them both out?" Haruno suggested. Yukino hesitated. "Megumi and Senpai?" "Who else?" "...I have to ask—are you just doing this for entertainment?" "Huh? Is that really the impression you have of me?" "Yes." Hearing Yukino's immediate and unwavering response, Haruno pressed a hand to her forehead, looking devastated. Yukino, however, remained unmoved. She muttered to herself, "Getting them both together wouldn't be too hard… All we need is—" "All we need is to notify Haru and say we're coming over for dinner. Didn't he invite us today? We can use that as an excuse, and no one will suspect a thing," Haruno smoothly finished the thought. Yukino fell silent. She was tempted. And so, the plan was set. Just before leaving, Haruno left her sister with one last remark. "If my intuition is right, then your dear Megumi's level might be far higher than you think." Yukino said nothing. That night, Haru received a message from Haruno. Seeing that she planned to bring people over for dinner, he naturally didn't mind and agreed right away. Over the next two days, Haru found himself dedicating more time to practicing his cooking skills. Partly, it was because he wanted to show off his improvement the next time Yukino visited. But more importantly—his cooking skill was about to level up. When he got home on Wednesday afternoon, Haru stood in front of the meal he had just prepared, momentarily frozen. [Your (Cooking) skill has reached max level. It has now evolved into (Drugging Lv1).] …Well. That was an aggressive name for a skill. Since it was called Drugging, Haru figured he should probably test it out first. Because who the hell knows what kind of drug it actually applies? What if it's…  clothes explosion? Recalling a certain anime, Haru brought his dinner into the living room. Two dishes and a soup. The color, fragrance, and presentation were all perfect—nothing was glowing ominously or looking remotely suspicious. This wasn't something he could ask someone else to test. He had to be his own guinea pig. He took a bite. …Nothing happened. But it was delicious. Better than anything he had ever cooked before. Second bite. Third bite. As he continued eating, Haru's body suddenly stiffened. Something was happening. The good news—he didn't lose his clothes. The bad news—it was a very intense and very familiar sensation. His mind felt completely blank, yet crystal clear at the same time. Grinding levels? Filmmaking? All his aspirations suddenly felt meaningless. His entire being was wrapped in an overwhelming sense of peace, utterly free of worldly desires, yet his mind remained sharp and focused. His body seemed to be telling him: I have transcended all mortal attachments. "Isn't this the sage mode?" Using his [Steel Body Lv2], Haru forcibly pulled himself out of the state.