Chapter 107 - 107: Who Asked You?

Haruno had returned. It was obvious—she had come back to "settle accounts" with Haru. Or, perhaps, she just wanted to clear up the awkwardness from earlier. Haru had no choice but to head back downstairs. Seeing her put away her phone with a bright smile, he kept his composure and asked, "Do you need something?" Haruno's smile didn't waver. "Shouldn't you already know?" "No idea." There was no way he was going to bring up that incident himself. "Playing dumb won't get you out of this~" "If you have any requests, just say the word." Haru responded at lightning speed. Haruno paused for a moment, then burst into laughter. "So that's what this is about? You were waiting for me to make demands?" Haru remained calm. "I don't have a choice. Since it was my fault, I should apologize and make it up to you." "Your fault?" Haruno's eyes flickered with doubt. From her perspective, the whole thing had been a result of her own carelessness. She had always been casual about things, and since she had known Haru since childhood, she had let her guard down. That was why she had ended up getting seen. But hearing him take the blame so readily… that genuinely surprised her. "It was my mistake," Haru reiterated. "So, you can name your terms." Haruno had a nagging feeling that something was off, but she couldn't put her finger on it just yet. She smirked. "Then, how about accompanying me for some shopping?" "That's it?" "Not just that. I've always wanted to go to an izakaya 1with a guy, but I never found the right person. Why don't we take this chance to go together?" "No problem. Let me go change first." "You agreed that fast?" Haruno was caught off guard again. Haru's tone was sincere. "When I say I'll make it up to you, I mean it." Now Haruno was really suspicious. Of course, Haru knew she was catching on. But before she could react, he turned and headed upstairs. And so, the ever-curious Haruno was left standing there, wondering what he was up to. Haru took almost ten minutes to change. Haruno nearly lost patience and considered going up to check on him when he finally strolled back down. "You look great, but I have to ask—why did it take you so long?" She was determined to get to the bottom of this. If she took him out without knowing what was going on, the unanswered question would eat at her all night. And if she was still thinking about it before bed, wouldn't that just ruin her sleep? Haru tapped his temple. "You could always think harder about it." Haruno rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. Are you just trying to be mysterious to cover up something else?" Haru smiled silently. Initially, he had planned to just go with the flow, but now, he was fully confident in his plan. Because while he was upstairs—he had secretly called Yukino. If everything went as expected, she was already on her way here. And as long as Haruno was stuck pondering her unanswered questions, she wouldn't rush to drag him off. That gave just enough time for Yukino to arrive. "Are you really not going to tell me the truth?" Haruno thought for a while but still couldn't figure it out. Haru smiled. "With your intelligence, I bet you'd figure it out if you thought just a little harder." Haruno sighed. "I'm not a detective. Why should I bother searching for the 'truth'?" She was certain he was hiding something. She just had no clue what. "Wait a second!" Something clicked in her mind. She eyed Haru suspiciously. "You've been stalling for time, haven't you? But why?" Haru clapped his hands together. "Impressive as always, Haruno-san." But he still didn't answer. Haruno was speechless. This is the downside of knowing each other too well. She had always boasted that she understood both Haru and Yukino better than anyone else. But didn't that mean they also understood her just as well? Yukino was still growing. As her older sister, Haruno could always keep her under control. But Haru was different. Even back in elementary school, she had thought he was a little too mature. Just then, a taxi pulled up outside the apartment. Haruno turned toward the sound of the engine as the door opened— And out stepped her little sister. Seeing Yukino's adorable face, she blinked in surprise. Then she turned to Haru, both amused and exasperated. "I see… So you called for backup?" "I wouldn't say I qualify as 'backup'…" Yukino interjected without hesitation. "But if my sister was planning to cause trouble for Haru, I can play the role." Haru kept his warm smile. "See that, Haruno-san? This is our passionate teamwork." The Yukinoshita sisters both glared at him. Haru nudged Yukino. "Hey, I'm on your side. You're glaring at the wrong person." Yukino, who had rushed over because of his call, felt her initial curiosity shift into sheer exasperation. "If you didn't say such stupid things, I wouldn't be glaring at you." Now that Yukino was involved, everything became much simpler. Haruno had never actually been angry, nor had she intended to seriously scold Haru over the awkward incident. The real reason she had come back was simple—she wanted to make sure Haru forgot what happened, tease him a little, and maybe squeeze some benefits out of the situation. After all, since he had seen everything, shouldn't she at least get something in return? But with Yukino's unexpected arrival, Haruno's plan had completely fallen apart. They didn't end up going anywhere right away. Instead, the three of them sat down at a café across the street. Yukino was the first to speak. "Why did you come back, sister?" Haruno deflected with her own question. "What did Haru tell you?" "He said you were going to beat him up. He was terrified and begged me to save him. I was curious, so I came over." Yukino didn't bother hiding anything. Haruno couldn't help but laugh. "Look at him now—does he look scared? He's grinning like an idiot." She gestured at Haru, who was indeed smiling beside Yukino. "Tone it down." Yukino nudged him with her elbow. Haruno sighed. "I just wanted him to go to an izakaya with me. But instead, he called you over." Yukino's expression immediately turned stern. "He's underage. He can't go to places like that." Haruno feigned shock, covering her mouth. "Oh? That's what you're concerned about? I thought you'd be against him going out with me at night." Yukino's gaze remained steady as she stared at her sister. Haru helpfully translated, "What she means is, you just said something stupid." Haruno shot him a look. "Who asked you?" Haru elbowed Yukino. Yukino sighed but still played along. "I did." Haruno: "…" Haru held up two fingers. "Team Combo, Round Two." Yukino deadpanned. "I regret cooperating with you." Haruno chuckled. "Watching you two get along so well makes me a little jealous." Haruno leaned in with a curious smirk. "By the way, Yukino, after hearing how ridiculous your call was, I'm surprised you actually came." Haru interjected casually, "It's called the Yukino Summoning Ritual—success rate, one hundred percent." Yukino shot him a cold glance. "I hate to disappoint you, but that success rate is actually only fifty percent." "Why?" "Because it depends on my mood. If I'm in a bad mood, I definitely wouldn't come." As she spoke, her sharp gaze locked onto Haru. "Like right now, for example—my mood is already getting worse." Haru stroked his chin in thought. "So it's only fifty percent, huh? That means you're about the same as Daigo." Yukino blinked. "Who's Daigo?" "The protagonist of Ultraman Tiga. His crash landing rate is around fifty percent." "…???" Yukino fell silent for a second before giving Haru a particularly dangerous look. "How did you even connect those two completely unrelated things? Do you want me to scold you right now?" Haruno burst into laughter. "Yes! Scold him! Do it for me too!" Haru, seeing where this was going, wisely admitted defeat. After finishing their drinks, the three went their separate ways. Since it was already dark, Haruno decided to escort her sister home. Later that night, just as Haru arrived home, he received a message from Haruno: You were smart this time. But next time, my invitation to the izakaya still stands. Haru chuckled, deleting the message immediately. Next time? Next time, I'll just summon Yukino again. And if even Yukino can't stop her, I'll call her mom. Haru had full confidence that he could get Mrs. Yukinoshita involved. …Though that was a last resort. If she ever found out she was being summoned just to block Haruno, that elegant and beautiful woman would surely transform into the most terrifying "Demon Queen of House Yukinoshita." Another Day, Another Visit The next day after school, Yukino voluntarily followed Haru home. Yesterday's "sage mode" had been way too comfortable. The exhaustion she'd built up from studying and training had completely vanished, all thanks to the restful evening. She liked that feeling. And of course, she wasn't the only one. Utaha also showed up. Yukino gave her a flat look. "Not even pretending anymore, are you?" Utaha, utterly composed, responded, "I simply found yesterday to be incredibly peaceful at his place. That kind of tranquility and comfort… it was a first for me." Yukino scoffed but said nothing. Because, well… she felt the same way. Haru, sensing the atmosphere, wisely offered to make dinner. The two girls had no objections. As they walked home, passing an empty street corner, Haru was lost in thought about what dishes to cook when Yukino suddenly spoke up. "Haru, isn't that the high schooler we saw sitting on the lawn last time?" Lawn? Haru immediately recalled that guy. The "wind is whispering today" guy. "Oh, yeah. That's him." Back then, the pretentious monologue from that glasses-wearing boy had left such an impression on Yukino that even now, she still remembered it. Utaha glanced in the same direction. "Ah, those three? I've seen them before too." Ahead, on the deserted sidewalk, three high school boys stood together. One wore glasses.One had blond hair.One had a delicate, pretty-boy face. At that moment, the glasses-wearing boy dramatically held up a long, straight wooden stick and solemnly declared: "After all the sacrifices… the Sword of Kings is finally in my grasp." The blond-haired boy, fully playing along, nodded seriously. "Brave hero, you now have the right to challenge the Demon Lord." The pretty-boy clapped in admiration. "As expected of our hero! Even the Sword of Kings bows before you." Then— They noticed Haru and the girls watching them. The atmosphere instantly froze. And then— "Clatter." The Sword of Kings slipped from the glasses-wearing boy's grasp, hitting the pavement with a dull thud. Japanese drinking restaurants