Chapter 126 - 126 — The Value of Utaha Keeps Rising

She was serious this time. At that moment, Haru was absolutely certain of it. Utaha still hadn't taken out the hidden key, yet the corners of her soft, rosy lips were already curling upward into a mesmerizing, seductive smile — part shyness, part irresistible allure. In her eyes, embarrassment and burning desire mixed together, creating a breathtaking sight that stirred the heart. Maybe it was because she herself was nervous and excited, but tiny beads of sweat began to form on her forehead. They slid slowly down past her fine bangs, tracing the elegant line of her jaw, before dripping onto her flawless, snow-white collarbone. That drop of sweat would continue its path, sliding further down along the curve of her neck, disappearing into her clothes... until it finally sank beneath her lingerie. Without much hesitation, Haru lifted a hand and gently cupped her face — a face so beautiful it needed no makeup, no embellishment, to steal a man's breath away. "Senpai... this isn't exactly the safest place, you know," he reminded her in a low, husky voice. His voice was a little hoarse. Utaha was a rare beauty to begin with — and now, with their relationship having long since crossed that invisible line, there was simply no way he could stay unaffected seeing her like this: cheeks flushed, eyes smoldering, every subtle expression overflowing with feminine charm. More importantly, Haru could use his [Auto-Aim] skill to scan their surroundings with pinpoint accuracy, ensuring that no one was approaching. In other words — he could guarantee their privacy here. And maybe, while he was at it, stoke that little flame burning inside Utaha just a bit more. "You went hiking with her without telling me," she pouted softly, cheeks flushed with jealousy. "Do you have any idea... how jealous that made me?" As she spoke, she rubbed her cheek against his palm like a spoiled kitten, nuzzling into his touch. "I know," Haru said with a faint smile, already sensing the emotions stirring in her heart. But Utaha wasn't done yet. "After everything that happened... after you and Yukinoshita came back from that trip… you two definitely… did it, didn't you?" Haru almost laughed. "Senpai, I've never seen you this jealous before. How should I put it... it's kinda cute." Utaha's smile burned hotter as their eyes met. "Oh? But I can be even cuter, you know. Are you sure you don't want to see for yourself?" "I want to," Haru answered without hesitation. Her eyes trembled. Her flushed cheeks deepened in color, spreading down to her slender neck, even staining the delicate dip of her collarbone with a faint pink glow. She bit her lip, shooting him a playful yet reproachful glare — silently scolding him for being hopelessly lustful. And then... she lifted the hem of her skirt. There was no one else here. No cameras. No interruptions. This was their own little world — just like that time in the bathroom with Yukino. No one would disturb them. … By the time Haru returned to his clubroom, twenty minutes had already passed. Utaha didn't come back with him — she wasn't planning to attend the club meeting today. She had to go home and change clothes. After all... in a setting like that, without a skill like [Auto-Aim] to stay aware of her surroundings, her emotions had run even wilder than usual. Just as Haru was about to step into the clubroom, he caught sight of a familiar figure walking down the hallway ahead. It was Megumi Kato. She was casually wiping her hands with a tissue — probably just returning from the restroom. Their eyes met. Haru gave a small nod, a simple gesture of greeting. But then... Megumi suddenly quickened her pace, stepping right in front of him before he could enter the room. "...What's wrong?" Seeing her like this, Haru could tell — she had something she wanted to say. So he stopped. Without saying a word, Megumi raised her hand and pointed... at his neck. Haru blinked, then glanced down. Instantly, his expression stiffened. — A bright red lipstick mark. It stood out clearly against his skin, only half-covered by his collar. "...Thanks," Haru muttered awkwardly. He instinctively reached up, ready to wipe it away — but Megumi had already pulled out a tissue and handed it to him. "...Thanks again." Haru took it, feeling more embarrassed than ever, while Megumi just watched him calmly with an unreadable expression — until the mark was finally gone. Only then did she speak, her voice soft but clear. "...Was it senpai?" Haru froze for half a second. "Let's not ask unnecessary questions like that," he replied, trying to laugh it off. Megumi let out a quiet oh of realization. "So it was her." Haru fell silent. ...Sharp as ever, this girl. But what surprised him more — was the faint smile tugging at the corners of Megumi's lips. "Does this count," she asked lightly, "as me knowing one of your secrets... and helping you keep it?" Haru gave a helpless chuckle. "It counts." "In that case..." Megumi's eyes narrowed mischievously. "Would you grant me a little favor in return?" "Sure," Haru shrugged. "If it's within reason." "Hmm..." Megumi tilted her head, pretending to think seriously about it. Haru knew he shouldn't let this conversation drag on much longer. So he glanced at the clubroom door, which was left slightly ajar. "Is everyone already inside?" Megumi nodded. Then — like she'd been waiting for this moment — asked with a hint of teasing in her voice: "Otherwise, why do you think I stopped you out here?" Haru blinked. That's when he finally noticed. The spot where Megumi had chosen to stand — just a single step away from the door — was positioned perfectly. From inside the room, no one would be able to see them unless they deliberately came out. "...Blocking the line of sight? Impressive," Haru said sincerely. Megumi raised a slender, fair finger. "I've decided," she announced. "I need to head back to the 'High School Return Of a Gangster' set one more time. If I keep your secret, you'll come with me, right?" Haru paused for a moment. Honestly, that wasn't a big deal. "Sure." Agreement reached. Just before they stepped inside, Megumi casually asked, like it was just an afterthought: "Senpai's not coming today?" "She went home," Haru answered vaguely. Megumi didn't press. She simply murmured softly — like talking to herself, but loud enough for him to hear: "...is Senpai so attractive to you?, I wonder... is it like the rumors in class say? Because she has really big boobs?" Haru, unfazed, shot back immediately. "I don't get it. I play Azur Lane." Megumi: "?" Haru thought the topic was over. He thought he'd successfully brushed it off. ...But what he didn't know — was that Megumi had asked that question on purpose. Even though she had already guessed the answer in her heart, she still wanted to see his reaction with her own eyes — to confirm it directly. So the reason Utaha-senpai attracts him… isn't because of her figure or looks. For an ordinary-looking girl like Megumi Kato, whose presence was as plain as could be, that realization quietly set her heart at ease. When Haru entered the clubroom, naturally, he couldn't avoid Yukino's sharp questioning. "I ran into Senpai on the way here," he replied honestly. Yukino paused as she flipped through her notebook, lifting her gaze slowly."I figured as much," she said. "But then explain this — why did she message me just now saying she's heading home early and won't be coming to today's club meeting?" Haru coughed awkwardly. "...That's a little hard to explain." Yukino narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but noticing the glances from others in the room, decided to let it go for now. Once Haru sat down, Yukino casually added, "Speaking of which, Senpai messaged me right after school too." Haru felt a chill down his back. "She… messaged you? What did she say?" Don't tell me she actually went so far as to challenge Yukino head-on?! Thankfully, his worst-case guess didn't come true. Yukino's tone even sounded a little impressed. "She sent me a rough draft of a new story outline. I took a look at it… and it's surprisingly good." "...A script?" Haru blinked. Yukino nodded lightly. "It seems she's still fired up from our earlier conversation. Looks like she's eager to improve — to surpass me in some other field." Then, being fair as always, she added, "Of course, I'll admit she's talented. No matter what she decides to learn, her efficiency is terrifyingly high." Haru subconsciously recalled the image of Utaha kneeling down, tying her hair back in that seductive, elegant gesture. "…Yeah," Haru agreed sincerely, "Senpai's value just keeps rising." But Yukino, being so familiar with him, immediately sensed something was off. "The value I'm talking about…" she narrowed her eyes, "and the value you're talking about… I get the feeling they aren't quite the same." Haru played dumb. "What? Of course it's the same." Yukino gave him an icy stare. "Your expression tells me you're absolutely full of crap." "Hey now, I'm just speaking from the heart here." "…Huh. Somehow, this time it does sound pretty sincere." Resting her chin on her hand, Yukino fell into thought. "I see… so mixing a little truth into your nonsense makes it more convincing. I'll have to remember that." Haru felt a cold sweat form on the back of his neck. As expected of Yukino… Even in casual banter, she was sharp enough to cut straight to the core. And the look she gave him afterward practically screamed:When we're alone later… you'd better explain exactly what kind of "value" you meant. After club activities ended, Yukino naturally walked home with Haru as usual. On the way, he casually brought up Kato's recent interest in visiting a film set. As expected, Yukino wasn't surprised in the slightest. "She probably just wants to observe things firsthand," Yukino said calmly. "It's far more effective than anything you could learn from a book." "…Are you planning to come too?" Haru knew full well she wouldn't be thrilled at the idea of him and Kato spending time alone together. And honestly… he wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea himself. Especially lately — Megumi Kato had been getting… unpredictable. "No." To Haru's surprise, Yukino actually turned him down. Her voice was calm, almost indifferent, as she explained, "I'm going to see Kasumigaoka." Haru hesitated for a moment. "...You're not going there to start a fight, are you?" Yukino immediately gave him the kind of look reserved for hopeless idiots."Do I look like I'd waste my time on something that childish? Besides, if I were going to fight her, I'd crush her so thoroughly she wouldn't even have a shred of dignity left." Haru couldn't exactly deny that. After all, Yukino's "combat power" had been personally raised by him since childhood — with the occasional "special training" from Haruno thrown in for good measure. "...Surprised I'm not going with you?" Yukino asked. Haru admitted honestly, "Yeah, I figured you'd insist on tagging along. Especially since you've made it pretty clear more than once that you and Kato don't exactly get along." "Correction," Yukino cut in smoothly. "It's not that we can't get along. I just don't trust her." After saying that, she added casually — almost like it was an afterthought —"Still, for someone supposedly so surprised… you don't look that shocked." Haru met her gaze head-on, unflinching. "That's because — for someone with a science-oriented mind like yours — life tends to operate like a system bound by the laws of conservation of energy. If you gain something, you lose something in return." Yukino blinked, then let out a soft laugh. "That's... an interesting way to put it. Not entirely accurate, but interesting."