Chapter 122 - 122: My Turn to Have Fun

Haruno had completely collapsed onto the couch, laughing uncontrollably. Since she found getting dressed properly too much of a hassle, she was still only wearing a bathrobe. As she doubled over in laughter, her loose-fitting robe shifted with her movements—collar gaping open, hem riding up. Just as Haru turned his gaze toward Yukino, a flash of bare skin entered his peripheral vision. She's not wearing anything underneath? Didn't she do laundry last night? Haru immediately snapped his eyes forward, focusing only on Yukino's face as he asked, "What were you guys just talking about?" "Nothing important. You should just go back inside." Yukino, still rubbing her temples in exasperation, didn't seem to notice anything off. Once Haru disappeared back into the bathroom, she turned back to Haruno, clearly irritated. "…Was it really that funny?" Haruno, still gasping for air, shook her head. "Not exactly—it's just that you were really cute just now." Yukino's expression froze. Deciding not to respond to that nonsense, she instead gave a pointed reminder. "…You should change your clothes, Sister." "Why?" Haruno, still weak from laughter and sleep deprivation, flopped onto the couch, making no effort to move. Yukino didn't bother explaining. She simply pointed at Haruno's loose neckline. Haruno followed her sister's gaze—then finally looked down at herself. "…Oh." Her entire collar was wide open. She sat up so fast it was like she'd been electrocuted. Then, as if just realizing something, a slight blush crept onto her bare face. "…Did Haru just—" "He probably didn't see anything," Yukino replied instinctively. His face was completely normal just now. If he had seen something, he definitely would've reacted. Haruno let out a relieved sigh, then—with a smirk—immediately went back to teasing. "Such a shame. With a body like mine, I wouldn't mind if Haru was the one who saw it." Yukino paused for a beat, then deadpanned: "…Did you have some kind of weird dream last night?" "...Huh?" For the first time, Haruno visibly froze. Yukino, like Sherlock Holmes, tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Something's been off since this morning. Your bathrobe—it's a different size than the one you wore last night. If you were already awake early, why didn't you just put on your regular clothes instead of getting a fresh bathrobe?" Haruno's face turned red. Her heart rate spiked. This… this feels like I just got caught having an X-rated dream. But, thanks to her unshakable composure, she recovered quickly—aside from the slight flush on her cheeks. "…My little Yukino isn't a naïve girl anymore, huh? You're actually having this kind of conversation with me?" Yukino's lips curved slightly, her gaze sharp. "People who avoid a topic when questioned usually have something to hide." Haruno maintained her smile. "If you insist on thinking that way, I won't argue." The two sisters locked eyes. After a few seconds, Yukino was the one who looked away. But not without leaving one last jab: "…Too embarrassed to admit it?" Haruno grinned. "Take a guess." And with that, she stood up to finally change her clothes. Scoreboard: Yukino 1, Haruno 0. 9:00 AM – The Hiking Trip Begins The three of them—Haru, Yukino, and Haruno—finally headed out for their planned hiking trip. As they drove, Haru received a bunch of concerned messages from his friends. "Why did you skip school?""Are you sick?""You good?" He replied to each one, assuring them it was just a personal matter—nothing serious. Their destination? Mount Mitake, located in the Okutama region. Harumi, having researched in advance, made a suggestion as they neared the parking area. "We shouldn't park inside. The fees are ridiculous. Outside parking is just 1,000 yen for the whole day." He held up his printed travel guide as proof. Haruno, smiling as usual, teased him. "No surprise there—this is coming from a guy who had the guts to ask his parents for investment money back in elementary school." Haru's face darkened. "…Just how many people know about that?" Yukino, sitting beside him, smirked. "Auntie told us all about it. She said she'll never forget the way you stuck your hand out, demanding 'investment capital' as a kid." Haruno grinned along. "She even said she gave you 100 yen as your first 'business fund.' So? Did you build your empire with that?" Haru sighed deeply. Mom, why are you like this? Why are you spilling all my childhood blackmail material to these two? Even though it wasn't a holiday, the mountain was still buzzing with hikers. Harumi, having studied the trail conditions beforehand, knew this route was on the steeper side—especially for people who weren't used to hiking. But for him? No problem. If I wanted, I could literally air-step my way up this mountain. "Do you guys wanna take the cable car?" Haru glanced at the long queue of tourists waiting for the lift. He himself was carrying their tent and food supplies, while the Yukinoshita sisters had nothing but one stylish handbag each. "If we take the cable car now, we can't even call this a hike," Yukino refused instantly. Haruno chuckled. "I was thinking about it, but… since you two seem so determined, I guess I'll walk too." Haru nodded, leading the way. As they passed the cable car entrance, he couldn't help but notice the pricing board: 1,300 yen for a round-trip ride, including mountain access. Honestly? That's a pretty good deal. During the hike, Haru kept his eyes open and found two sturdy walking sticks along the way. He handed them to the sisters. "You're not taking one?" Haruno asked as she accepted it. Haru didn't even have to answer— "…Just look at him," Yukino cut in. "His face isn't even red. He's not even out of breath. He's completely fine." Haruno blinked. Then, looking at his totally relaxed posture, she suddenly gained a new level of respect for his physical endurance. Can She Really Satisfy Him? Haruno's thoughts wandered again… Hiking was nowhere near as effortless as taking the cable car. Aside from Haru, who walked as if he were strolling through a park, the two Yukinoshita sisters behind him were already starting to breathe heavily. Reaching the halfway point up the mountain, Haru noticed a bench and suggested they take a break. Neither Haruno nor Yukino tried to act tough—after all, the exhaustion was real. "Haru, how are you this fit?" Haruno took a sip of water, her breathing gradually steadying, before voicing her disbelief. "You'll be even more surprised when we reach the top," Yukino remarked calmly, sipping her own water. Haruno's grip on her water bottle stiffened slightly. "Wait… there's more?" she asked in shock. Yukino didn't bother explaining. She had already witnessed it firsthand—Haru once ran all the way back to Chiba from the outskirts of town. And after that insane feat, all he did was catch his breath for a moment before returning to normal as if nothing had happened. Sometimes, she even had the absurd thought that her boyfriend might be possessed by Kamen Rider—otherwise, how could he be this strong? Of course, she would never voice such a ridiculous idea to her sister, who would undoubtedly make fun of her for it. Suddenly, Haru's voice rang out from a short distance away: "Taiyi nears the heavens, the mountains stretch to the ocean's edge. Clouds swirl as I gaze back, mist rises beyond my sight." The sisters turned their heads to see Haru practicing with their hiking sticks, performing smooth, precise movements like he was wielding a sword. Nearby, a family of three had also paused to watch him. Sitting between his parents, a young boy stared at Haru with wide, sparkling eyes, clearly captivated by his swordplay. "What's he saying?" Haruno asked, unable to understand the language. Yukino thought for a moment before smiling. "It's a Chinese poem. I believe it's Zhongnan Mountain by Wang Wei." Haruno looked at her sister, surprised. "How much Chinese have you learned?" "To put it simply… aside from internet slang and a few idioms, I understand pretty much everything," Yukino replied casually, as if it were no big deal. "Of course you do." Haruno rolled her eyes, resting her chin on her hand. "Chinese is supposed to be the hardest language in the world. I studied it a little before—just mastering the tones and pronunciation was already a nightmare." Meanwhile, the little boy watching Haru couldn't contain his excitement any longer. He jumped up and ran over, eyes shining with admiration. "Big bro, what's that move called? It looks so cool!" Haru, ever the showman, put on a mysterious air. "These are long-lost sword techniques, secret skills of the immortal path. Ordinary people could never hope to master them." The boy's eyes widened. "Really?" Without answering, Haru suddenly performed a jumping spin off a tree, his legs extending mid-air as he twirled the wooden stick in his hands. The move was so breathtakingly fluid that even the boy's parents were stunned. "Whoa! That was amazing!" The boy's face turned red with excitement—he was completely convinced. Haru continued his nonsense. "I actually have one more incredibly powerful sword technique, but its destructive power is too great. I can't use it here." "What's it called?" "It's called One Slash, Two Halves – The Celestial Blade. But before using it, you must chant a special incantation, or else it won't unleash its true power." One of them dared to spout nonsense, and the other was all too eager to believe it. Seated behind them, the boy's father scratched his head. "One Slash, Two Halves… Celestial Blade? Why does that sound familiar?" His wife turned to him, puzzled. "You've heard of it?" "Yeah… I just can't quite remember where. Probably something from my childhood." Under the watchful eyes of his parents and the Yukinoshita sisters, the boy braced himself, gripping his stick with both hands. Then, with unwavering determination, he raised it high and shouted at the top of his lungs: "I-I-KAIIIIIIPURISU! Come forth, Celestial Blade!" Haru immediately took out his phone and snapped a picture. At that moment, the boy's father suddenly clapped his hands together in realization. "I remember now! It's from Mado King Granzort! I still remember so many of the attacks from that show!" His wife gave him a blank look. "What's that?" Ignoring her, he grinned at Haru, gave him a nod of approval, then casually snatched the wooden stick from his son's hands. "Alright, now it's my turn to play." The boy: "???" Not far away, the Yukinoshita sisters burst into laughter. "He's always like this, isn't he?" Haruno teased, though the fondness in her eyes betrayed her amusement. Yukino let out a soft chuckle. "He does plenty of silly things that make me mad sometimes… but this time, I don't think it's childish at all."