Chapter 130 - 130 — An Artistic Movie?

In the end, Yukino still didn't manage to get a straight answer from him. But honestly, she didn't really mind anymore. After all, with her excellent level of Chinese and a little help from search engines, she had pretty much figured out why Haru had chosen that song in the first place. She even went as far as looking up the singer's profile — and sure enough, in one of their interviews, there was this ridiculous line: "That song represented the most beautiful thing I could think of during the darkest, hardest time of my life." Absolutely unbelievable. With the singer himself saying that, Yukino had no reason to keep digging for the real answer from Haru. Later that evening, around 8PM, Haru was getting ready for his usual workout. As he stood up, he casually invited Yukino, "Wanna join me?" "Sure," she replied without hesitation. She was feeling pretty good tonight anyway. The two of them went off to their rooms to change. He, as always, came back out wearing his standard Anta sportswear. But when Yukino stepped out of her room — for a brief moment — he felt like casually inviting her to exercise tonight might have been the best decision he'd made all day. Because she wasn't wearing her usual T-shirt and long sports pants. Instead, she had on a loose-fitting red-and-white T-shirt, paired with bright red gym shorts. Yes — those kind of gym shorts. The kind you'd occasionally see in the anime he sometimes watched. Normally, gym pants would reach close to the knees. But what Yukino had on tonight… left her perfectly-shaped legs almost completely bare. And the shorter the shorts, the longer and more beautiful the legs looked. "Have you stared long enough?" Yukino's cheeks were tinged with a faint blush. She really couldn't hold back anymore and ended up calling him out. But he didn't even try to hide it — he continued openly admiring her long, beautiful legs, while asking curiously, "What's with the sudden change in style?" Yukino, still blushing, gave a small sigh of resignation. "My usual workout clothes weren't dry yet. I didn't have any other options." He gave her an enthusiastic thumbs-up. "That's totally fine — this outfit looks amazing on you… No, scratch that — I don't think any outfit could look better on you than this one." That completely defeated Yukino. Her delicate brows furrowed in exasperation. "Can you not say such idiotic things with a straight face?" "I'm just speaking from the heart, my adorable Miss Yukinoshita." "I'll admit I'm adorable," Yukino countered smoothly, "but that doesn't change the fact that you're hopelessly stupid." As she fired back, she subtly worked on steadying her breathing and calming herself down. Honestly, the moment she changed into this outfit, she already had a pretty good idea of how he would react. If they were outside — or if anyone else happened to be home — there was no way she'd have worn this. But right now, it was just the two of them. They knew each other inside and out. It was just a pair of gym shorts — what was there to be shy about? Besides, this particular style was incredibly breathable and comfortable for exercise. So even though she knew exactly how he would react… she still came out wearing it anyway. Compared to Yukino, who quickly regained her composure and returned to her usual calm demeanor, Haru was a complete mess. Come on. Yukino, dressed this casually and looking that good — honestly, if someone could resist stealing glances at her, they had to be some kind of saint. Especially those gym shorts of hers — Haru would give them a perfect ten out of ten. Full marks. Absolutely full marks. This style of shorts was ridiculously comfortable, super breathable, and didn't restrict movement at all. Of course, there were downsides too. For example — the fabric was so thin that if her underwear lines were too obvious, it would totally ruin the overall aesthetic. But if she didn't wear anything underneath… He could only solemnly declare, "As a calligrapher, that's definitely worth ten strokes." Luckily (or unluckily), Yukino was wearing them properly. And while the shorts might not have looked perfect while she was running — bunching up slightly here and there — there was no one else around, so she didn't particularly care. Haru deliberately slowed his pace to match hers, jogging alongside her for about half an hour. Only when she finally stopped, panting and wiping sweat from her forehead, did he speed up the treadmill for his own workout. Yukino stood nearby, sipping water, quietly admiring her boyfriend's freakishly inhuman stamina. Thinking back to how he'd jogged slowly with her the whole time, a small smile tugged at her lips. "With your endurance, that little run earlier probably didn't even count as a warm-up, did it?" He nodded casually. "Yeah, I'm just starting to warm up now." Yukino looked genuinely pleased. "Once I catch my breath, I'll keep going too. But this time, you don't have to slow down for me." "No way. I'm definitely running with you," he replied firmly. Yukino tilted her chin up slightly, her smile radiant. "Oh? I didn't know you had such a gentle side." But he quietly muttered under his breath,"I'm just running with you because watching you jog is way too beautiful." Yukino: "…???" So that whole 'running with me out of kindness' thing was a lie!? Her chest rose and fell as she breathed heavily, fingers tightening around her water bottle."I take back everything nice I just said about you." "Aw, come on — I was just being honest with you," he grinned shamelessly. "Thank you for your honesty. Unfortunately, I'm extremely annoyed right now." But as they continued their workout, Yukino couldn't help but pay closer attention. And sure enough… Haru was not lying. He genuinely found her running in this outfit captivating. That's why he'd slowed his pace — just to admire her a little longer. That thought left her both embarrassed and secretly a little proud. To be able to catch and hold the gaze of the person she liked — that alone was proof enough of her own charm. Still, she thought with exasperation, does he really have to stare so openly? Were her legs that mesmerizing? Hadn't he already seen them enough by now? Yukino sighed helplessly to herself. Annoyed as she was… she couldn't exactly bring herself to hate him for it. Honestly… what am I going to do with you? In the end, she decided to pretend not to notice. Working out on her own could feel dull and tedious — but with someone by her side, even the monotony was easier to bear. By the time she finished exercising, Yukino felt physically exhausted, but strangely content inside. As she walked out of the gym area, Haru trailed behind her, wiping the sweat from his brow. He called out to her casually, "You go shower first. I'll head in after you." Yukino nodded at first, but then slowly turned her expressionless gaze toward him."...How long do you plan on staring?" Sure, her legs were pretty fair — but was that really a reason to keep staring like that? He replied, completely serious, "I'm simply admiring something beautiful, that's all." Yukino narrowed her eyes. "I'm honestly impressed you can say something so fake with such a straight face." "But e appreciating beauty — that part isn't a lie, is it?" "And besides that?" Yukino asked flatly. "Anything else you feel like saying?" He smiled, looking almost too sincere. "Yeah. I was wondering... how about I wash your workout clothes for you?" "...Are you a pervert or something?!" Face flushing bright red, she glared at him before storming off into the bathroom, hugging her clothes like she was protecting them from a predator. Left standing alone, Haru couldn't hold back his laughter. Of course he wasn't a pervert — teasing Yukino like this and watching all her fun reactions was just way too entertaining. But then — Click. The bathroom door, which had just slammed shut, suddenly creaked open a crack. A fair, slender arm stretched out — and thwap — her clothes were tossed right at him. He was stunned. From behind the door came Yukino's cool voice: "If you don't wash those properly, you're in trouble." He blinked, completely thrown off. "Wait, I was just joking..." "I know," Yukino replied sweetly. "But I'm not joking. Wash them well. I'll be checking." With that, the door shut firmly again. Then came the distinct click of the lock turning. He stood there in stunned silence, staring at the clothes she'd just tossed out. Whether it was the set in his hands or the one she was still wearing inside — both were completely drenched in sweat. He crouched down, picked them up helplessly, and let out a long sigh. "Can't believe she turned the tables on me like this... She's getting way too good at this, Yukino." From inside the bathroom, Yukino's smug laughter drifted out. "What, did you think you could keep scoring points forever? Looks like you forgot — humans are creatures best known for learning and adapting." Her words sounded confident and sharp. But — Inside the bathroom, as she filled the tub with water, Yukino's face was bright red. Nobody but her would ever know exactly how she felt in that moment — when she'd casually thrown her sweat-soaked clothes straight at him. Maybe... just maybe... it was her own little way of shutting down his momentum. Maybe it was just her stubborn pride acting up. Either way, what's thrown out is like spilled water — there's no taking it back now. Saturday rolled around again. That morning, Haru met up with the three girls he'd promised to hang out with. After meeting on the street, all of them carrying their overnight bags, they set off together toward Saitama. The whole trip was just over 20 kilometers. Pretty quick by subway — at least in theory. But thanks to tonight's fireworks festival, each of the three girls seemed lost in their own thoughts during the ride. Yukino was busy strategizing — figuring out how to guard against both Utaha and Megumi. She couldn't help but wonder if Megumi's little confession the other day had actually been a subtle reminder: she once said — "It's not like I like him or anything" — still stands. Meanwhile, Utaha's head was filled with one thing — how to sneak away with Haru during the fireworks show tonight. As for Megumi? She was quietly playing on her phone. Haru had already booked their accommodations in advance — a kind of vacation lodge made entirely of wooden cabins. Originally, he'd planned on finding a nice, comfy hotel... but with so many tourists around for the festival, every decent hotel in the area was fully booked. The only ones left were the shady ones with awful reviews online. Considering the girls' comfort and safety, he had no choice but to go for a more expensive place with better reviews. But when they finally arrived, he realized the place didn't just look like a resort online — it really was one, nestled deep in the forest with tall trees surrounding them on all sides. It couldn't help but remind him of that viral phrase he'd seen online:"Living in the mountains isn't so bad." Coincidentally, after setting down her backpack and glancing around, Yukino also remarked,"Not bad at all." "This kind of place is perfect for an afternoon nap," Megumi commented, already thinking about relaxing. Utaha casually agreed. The girls were all staying together in one cabin, while he had a separate room to himself. Since it was still a while before evening, and seeing the girls busy laying out futons and bedsheets, he decided to help out too. "You didn't happen to come here early to scout the place, did you?" Utaha teased, standing with her arms crossed and a playful look on her face. He remained completely unfazed. "I don't do things like sneaking into girls' rooms at night." "Oh? That confident?" "Absolutely." Hearing their conversation, Yukino narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Utaha. Did Senpai specifically mention "sneaking in at night" because she's already considered it herself? Yukino had always been cautious. And if there was even the slightest chance... then she had no choice but to stay on guard. Meanwhile, Megumi was still quietly playing on her phone — like as long as no one bothered her, she could peacefully spend the rest of her life just like that. Once they finished tidying up the room, Haru casually asked, "So, what do you guys want to do next? Go shopping? Or just rest?" "I don't feel like shopping," Yukino immediately shot down that suggestion. Megumi finally put down her phone. "I'd rather just take a walk around the area and snap some photos." And then — completely out of nowhere — Utaha spoke up. "How about watching a movie?" The other three froze for a second. That idea came so out of left field that all three of them turned to look at her in unison."A movie?" Utaha nodded. "I was thinking about it yesterday. If we're talking about stuff we can all do together… besides playing cards or board games, watching a movie sounds like the most reasonable option." She casually pointed at Yukino. "I know Yukinoshita doesn't really like shopping, and megumi's the quiet type too. Plus, I'm not really in the mood to run around right now either. So why not just watch a movie?" "I don't mind," Haru was the first to respond. Neither Yukino nor Megumi had any objections either. After all, it was just a way to kill time. Even if the movie turned out boring, they could always do something else. Seeing her suggestion so easily accepted, Utaha couldn't help but smile. "Actually, there's this one film I've been dying to watch. It's supposed to have very high artistic value." That immediately piqued Yukino's interest. "What's it called?" Utaha smiled like a cat with a secret. "Last Tango in Paris." The moment she said the name, Haru instantly felt like he'd heard it somewhere before. Yukino frowned slightly, thinking hard. "I feel like I've heard of that before… isn't it a really famous movie?" Haru nodded, following up right away, "Yeah, just like senpai said — that movie's got so much artistic value it could probably stack up to a three or four-story building." Utaha shot him a look, clearly unimpressed. "I have never used such a weird metaphor." With that, she stood up to start digging through her things, probably looking for the movie file. Meanwhile, he went around the room, pulling the curtains shut to set the mood for their little movie screening. He'd heard of Last Tango in Paris before, of course. But he'd never actually seen it. And since there wasn't really anything else to do, he figured, why not? Might as well watch this legendary movie with them. Everyone seemed on board...Well — except for Megumi. Silently, like it was the most natural thing in the world, Megumi started googling the movie on her phone. A few seconds later, her eyes landed on a line in the movie description: "Known for its intense, daring, and highly explicit scenes between the male and female leads." Megumi stared blankly at the screen for a moment. …Is this seriously a normal movie? For the first time today, Megumi looked genuinely confused.