Chapter 121 - 121: Yukino: A Missed Opportunity

That night, while Haru was still out wandering the streets, Haruno lay awake in bed, unable to sleep. Smart people tend to overthink things, and Haruno was no exception. After the pleasant relaxation brought by her "post-nut clarity" faded, her usual sharp mind resumed its restless activity. At first, her thoughts drifted back to the embarrassing moment when Haru accidentally saw her in the bathroom. Then, they shifted to the way he had trained so intensely that evening. Turning her head slightly, she saw her younger sister, Yukino, sleeping soundly beside her. To avoid disturbing Yukino, she had dimmed the bedside lamp, casting a soft glow that allowed her to observe her sister's delicate sleeping face. Yukino's stamina would never be able to keep up, would it? That thought struck her suddenly. She had always heard from Yukino that Haru was in great physical shape, but tonight was the first time she had actually watched him up close. And it hit her—Amamiya Haru, the boy she once saw as a child pretending to act mature, had truly grown into a man. She knew her sister well. Haru's physique was incredibly strong, his stamina almost monstrous. And with that realization, her thoughts started spiraling. As an adult, she understood certain things all too well—things she had casually come across online. She had even teased Yukino before, probing her about how far her relationship with Haru had progressed. Back then, Yukino's annoyed, evasive reaction told Haruno everything she needed to know. For her sister to react that way, their relationship must have already developed far beyond her initial expectations. If I hadn't stayed over tonight, if I hadn't invited Yukino to sleep here with me... they definitely wouldn't have gone to bed this early. The warm bedside light reflected off Haruno's slightly flushed cheeks. She knew full well that if she kept thinking about this, her dreams tonight would be filled with rather... vivid imagery. Yet she couldn't stop herself. After all, Haru and Yukino were the two people she cared about the most. Haru should be asleep by now, right? Without Yukino beside him, he's probably feeling a little lonely. With a final sigh, Haruno decided to stop overthinking and turned off the lamp, forcing herself to sleep. Haru returned home at around midnight. Despite only getting about five hours of sleep, he woke up at 5:30 AM feeling completely refreshed—an advantage granted by his [Steel Body] ability. After washing up, he followed his usual morning routine. He took out Yukino's freshly laundered clothes and placed them neatly in the laundry basket where she always found them. This had become a habit over time—whenever Yukino stayed over, Haru would wake up early and set out her clothes for her. They were close enough, their mutual understanding deep enough, that this was just a natural part of their daily life. As for Haruno's clothes, which she had washed the night before, Haru left them untouched. He wasn't a pervert, after all. However, as he was about to leave the bathroom, he noticed something odd. Haruno's underwear and Yukino's were... the exact same. Same design. Same plain white color. Did they go shopping together and buy matching sets? Shaking his head, Haru changed into his workout clothes and headed out for his morning training. Around 6:00 AM, the guest room door creaked open. A sleepy Haruno shuffled out, rubbing her drowsy eyes. The usually dazzling, energetic woman now looked far more disheveled than usual—her long, silky hair a tangled mess, her face carrying the clear signs of a restless night. Figures… I ended up having weird dreams after all. She sighed. She had anticipated this outcome, but actually experiencing it left her feeling oddly conflicted. And, well… there was another issue. Since she had slept poorly, she woke up feeling somewhat uncomfortable. Meaning—she needed a shower. Draped in nothing but a bathrobe, Haruno felt the damp fabric cling uncomfortably to her skin. Before heading to the bathroom, she double-checked something—Haru had already left for training. Only then did she let out a small breath of relief and slip inside. After a quick shower, she tossed the incriminating bathrobe into a bucket and turned to grab some fresh clothes. And that's when she noticed something strange. Sitting neatly in the laundry basket were her freshly washed undergarments. "Wait… is this… mine?" She picked up the underwear, her sleep-deprived brain struggling to process the situation. It was definitely her underwear. Same size, same design, same color. Did that mean… Haru had taken them out for her? For a moment, Haruno didn't know how to react. There was no doubt in her mind that he had done this out of kindness. After all, he had always been considerate toward Yukino in this way, so perhaps it made sense that he'd extend that care to her as well. It was… sweet, really. But also… very weird. Even if it was unintentional, the fact remained that Haru had handled her underwear. "…I appreciate the thought, but underwear is really not something I need help with," she muttered, feeling both amused and slightly exasperated. Still, she decided not to dwell on it for now. She'd wait until Haru got back and scold him properly. For now, she just wrapped herself in a fresh bathrobe and walked out into the living room. By 6:20 AM, Yukino stirred awake. Her first instinct was to glance beside her, surprised to find the space next to her empty. Her sister was already up? That was unusual. Still groggy, she shuffled out to the living room, only to freeze mid-step. There, sitting on the sofa, was Haruno—wearing nothing but a bathrobe, curled up with her knees against her chest, watching morning television with an oddly dazed expression. It was an uncharacteristically lazy and unguarded look for her. But Yukino was too tired to care. She gave a quick "Good morning" and walked past her, heading straight to the bathroom to wash up. Yet—less than a minute later—she suddenly rushed back into the living room, her face now wide awake, eyes filled with shock and disbelief. "…What's wrong?" Haruno asked, blinking at her sister's abrupt return. Haruno had no idea what kind of emotions were swirling in her sister's mind right now. Instead, she simply chuckled. "Oh? Don't tell me you want me to make breakfast? That's not happening. Haru's cooking is so much better—of course, he should be the one to do it." "It's not about breakfast," Yukino said, her tone oddly complicated. Haruno tilted her head, still smiling. "Then what is it?" Yukino hesitated for a moment before glancing at the hem of Haruno's bathrobe—specifically, at her thighs. A full five seconds passed before she finally spoke, her expression shifting into something… difficult to describe. "…Did you take the underwear from the basket?" Haruno blinked. "Yeah? Wasn't it mine?" Yukino let out a deep sigh, as if trying to suppress a growing headache. "…Sister, do you even hear yourself? That was mine." "Huh?" Haruno's face twisted in shock. Then, as if to confirm, she casually lifted the edge of her bathrobe and took a peek. "You're mistaken. This is the one I wore yesterday." Yukino pinched the bridge of her nose. She could feel her patience thinning. "You really forgot, didn't you? We went shopping together a while ago." Haruno's eyes glazed over for a second. Then, a moment later, she let out an awkward laugh. "Oh… yeah, that happened. Oops. My bad! I just assumed Haru had thoughtfully set my clothes out for me." Yukino's expression immediately turned blank. "…No matter how thoughtful he is, he would never touch your underwear." She didn't even know how to describe the mess of emotions she was feeling right now. Her own underwear… taken by her sister? Haruno took my underwear… and actually wore it? A missed opportunity, huh? If it were Haru, he'd definitely come up with some dumb joke about this. Yukino let out another sigh. "Your clothes are probably still hanging outside. Go get them yourself. As for mine… I'll just throw them back into the washing machine." "My bad, my bad," Haruno said sincerely, though her face was still full of amusement. In other words—she was laughing her ass off. By the time Haru returned from his morning run, Yukino was already fully dressed, sitting in the living room with her usual composed demeanor. Meanwhile, Haruno was still wearing nothing but a bathrobe, staring off into space like she was lost in thought. "You should make breakfast now, Haru." Both Yukino and Haruno turned their heads at the sound of the front door opening, but Haruno was the first to speak. "I'm gonna take a quick shower first," Haru nodded, heading toward the bathroom. The moment the bathroom door closed behind him, Haruno suddenly let out a quiet giggle. Yukino glanced at her, clearly suspicious. "…What's so funny?" Haruno covered her mouth with one hand, her laughter barely restrained. "I was so out of it from lack of sleep, I didn't even realize… If Haru really had set out my clothes for me, then why would he only take out my underwear and nothing else?" She was referring to the fact that the basket earlier contained only underwear, but none of her other clothes. "Next time, try not to make such stupid mistakes," Yukino muttered, already tired of this ridiculous conversation. Haruno was still smiling. "Got it, got it. Next time, I'll double-check. But even if I had taken all the wrong clothes, it's not like I'd be able to fit into yours." Yukino slowly turned her head, her gaze filled with mild amusement. "Oh? Do you want me to tell Haru about your little mistake?" Haruno blinked. "Tell him what?" Before Yukino could answer— The bathroom door suddenly swung open. A shirtless Haru poked his head out, looking curious. "Tell me what?" Yukino: "…" Haruno let out a chuckle.