Chapter 138 - 138: Go Big OR Go Home

The moment Yukino saw the message from Utaha—"I'm in the middle of a tatakai"—she went silent. Tonight, she was once again staying over at Haru's place. She had just finished showering and was now sitting on the bed, folding clothes and idly scrolling through her phone. In the living room, Haru was... playing with the cat. Or at least, he called it playing. Yukino felt a more accurate word would be training. For example, as she folded a fresh set of pajamas, she could hear thuds from the living room—sounds of a human landing after jumping. She'd peeked earlier. His idea of playing with the cat was more like parkour. Using the feline's agility and speed as a challenge, he sprinted and leapt around the room in a high-speed game of tag—man versus cat. And shockingly enough, he didn't fall behind at all. If anything, he might've been faster than the cat. "Is this how he trains his body on a daily basis?" Yukino placed the folded underwear neatly into the drawer, feeling a strange absurdity settle in her chest. To her, a normal person's workout routine involved things like jogging or hitting the gym. But her boyfriend's training methods were anything but ordinary. In any case, she knew for a fact she couldn't keep up. "At this rate, our physical gap is only going to grow wider…" She let out a quiet sigh. Even with her intellect and knowledge, she couldn't come up with a solution to that problem. So she turned her attention back to her phone. A new message from Utaha popped up:"You're at his place?" Yukino: Yes. Utaha: That's nice… I wish my parents would let me stay out overnight too. Yukino instantly saw through the ploy. A smirk tugged at her lips as her pale, slender fingers flew across the screen. Yukino: You're not worried about your parents. What you really want is to spend the night at Haru's place. Utaha: I won't deny it. After all, you do it. Yukino: Senpai, don't you remember what I told you before? We're different. Utaha: I remember. But now, I think that statement needs a little revision. Yukino raised an eyebrow. Revision? What was she playing at? Did she find a new shortcut to steal a lead and lay another trap? Yukino: What do you mean by that? Utaha: Don't overthink it. I just meant that, at least in one particular area, we both lost at about the same speed. Yukino stared at the chat window, her expression darkening. She knew exactly what "area" Utaha was referring to. The bed, of course… Then another message came through: Utaha: Ever thought about this? Even if the two of us teamed up, we'd probably still lose… and pretty fast, too. Yukino flushed bright red and began typing furiously, rage coloring every keystroke. "Are you brain-dead? What kind of idiotic thought is that!" She didn't even bother calling her "senpai" anymore. That last message had left too strong of an aftertaste. Her fingers slammed against the screen with unusual force. Utaha: Just a joke, don't take it so seriously~ Anyway, I'm getting back to my tatakai. I'll come find you two tomorrow night. — Elsewhere... Utaha set her phone down, her cheeks slightly flushed, and let out a soft laugh. It was the kind of quiet laugh meant only for herself—private and indulgent. Her earlier message hadn't come from a moment of stupidity, but from a sudden impulse—a desire to probe Yukino, just to see her reaction. And the result didn't disappoint. As expected, Yukino got mad. Very mad. "I was just saying it casually." She muttered to herself, opening the video site's comment section again, ready to resume her online "war." But as soon as she refreshed the page, she saw a prompt: "This account has been suspended due to multiple reports." "…Heh. Can't win the argument, so they resort to reporting? Pathetic." She sneered softly, eyes gleaming with amusement. Utaha let out a cold snort and switched to another account. "Katsuhiko's Fan No.2—logged in!" The next afternoon. Haru made a quick stop at the karate club. He hadn't been around for a while, despite being both a temporary and backup member. Fortunately, the other members completely understood. "You're a total freak. Anyone who spars with you ends up with sore hands!"That was how club captain Oyama put it. Haru had only come today to talk with Oyama-senpai about the upcoming tournament at the end of the month. This particular match would be held at the gymnasium. But since it wasn't a major event like a "Youth Open Championship," there wouldn't be much media attention or crowd turnout. Even though Haru always called himself a "backup," the karate club had helped him train for months. There was no way he wouldn't help out and aim for a win. Everyone in the club was thrilled he'd be competing. To them, as long as Haru took it seriously, he was practically a karate war god. Haru himself didn't like that title. "I think 'karate war god' sounds too flashy. 'God of Combat' fits me better—and it's more low-key." "You got some real weird ideas about what's considered low-key." Back in the photography club, he casually brought it up, and the reaction was… enthusiastic. Everyone said they wanted to come watch the event in person. "With your skill level, you'll easily place well, whether it's in kata or enbu," Yukino said with confidence. Kata was a karate term for forms—basically a solo performance of techniques and posture. Enbu referred to choreographed sparring displays. Real combat duel was called kumite. Yukino seemed to know all the terms. Maybe she studied them just because it was Haru. At the very least, she was the most informed one in the club. "What about kumite? You left that one out," Utaha asked instinctively. Yukino answered calmly, "Who could possibly beat him in kumite?" Utaha nodded. "Good point. He's a monster." Haru, called a "monster" by both girls, kept quiet. But deep down, he was thinking:I'm actually a superhuman. That's a step up. When it was time to go home, Utaha took the initiative to follow along with Haru and Yukino. Yukino was clearly in on it. When Haru gave her a questioning look, she just smiled and said, "I've got lots of free time today. I thought I'd spend a bit more of it at your place." He understood right away. "Lots of free time" meant she had already told her family she'd be home late. "Alright then, let's stop and pick up groceries first," Haru decided. They were running low on food anyway. "How about we do some shopping while we're at it?" Utaha suggested. Yukino looked like she was about to say no—until Utaha added, "Walking around is a form of exercise too, you know." That woman… she's got hidden motives! Yukino gave her a blank stare. "Since when are you so into exercise?" "What can I say? When someone's this monstrously strong, if I don't put in the effort, I'll just feel like a failure." Utaha casually glanced at Haru, then looked away. Yukino had no rebuttal for that one. Seeing Yukino silently accept it, Haru changed their route and took both girls to the shopping mall first. Although Yukino had originally said she wasn't interested in browsing, once she stepped into the sea of sparkling displays and shelves, her focus started to drift. At Utaha's invitation, she stopped with her in front of a cosmetics counter, and the two began chatting in low voices. Haru, naturally, became the designated bag carrier. Though at this stage, they hadn't actually bought anything yet. After standing by for a while, he decided to wait outside. "Hey, it's you!" A cheerful female voice called out from the side. He turned his head and saw—it was the ponytailed woman from the fireworks festival. This time, she was alone. The friends from that night were nowhere in sight. Back then, they had briefly introduced themselves. He remembered her last name was Su. "Miss Su? Weren't you just visiting? How come you're still here?" Haru asked curiously. She smiled. "I didn't explain it very well last time. My friends were here for a trip—I actually work in this area." "Ah, I see." Then she asked, "By the way, the surname 'Yukinoshita' isn't that common, right?" "Why do you ask?" Haru tilted his head. "I bumped into a Miss Yukinoshita upstairs just now while shopping. I almost bought the wrong lipstick, and she helped me pick the right one." "Miss Yukinoshita?" "Yeah, she was really pretty—short hair, great figure… Actually, now that I think about it, she looked kinda like your friend from the other night." He quickly realized who she meant. "Haru, who are you talking to?" Yukino and Utaha peeked out from the store. The moment they saw the ponytailed woman, both froze in recognition."Miss Su?" "Hi! I'm just shopping too," she greeted them casually. After exchanging a few words, Miss Su took her leave. As Haru walked back into the store, Yukino casually asked, "Wasn't she supposed to be a tourist?" "She works here, actually." "Oh." "Also—apparently Haruno-sis is in this mall too. The two of them bumped into each other earlier." "My sister?" Yukino paused mid-reach for a lipstick, then composed herself quickly. "You going to say hi?" Haru shook his head. "I don't even know where exactly she is." As Utaha listened nearby, she couldn't help but recall that woman—Miss Haruno—and her peculiar behavior. The two beautiful girls finished shopping for cosmetics and strolled off toward another part of the mall. Haru, carrying their shopping bags, was wandering aimlessly when something caught his eye. He pointed ahead and casually suggested,"How about trying that?" The girls followed his finger and found themselves looking at a VR experience center. "I don't mind," Utaha said with some interest. Yukino, who knew Haru better, narrowed her eyes suspiciously."You're not thinking of making us try a horror game, are you?" Utaha froze in place. Just like that, she suddenly lost interest. Haru, mentally applauding Yukino's sharp intuition, feigned innocence."Now would I ever do something like that?" "Really?" Even Utaha was starting to doubt him now. He remained calm. "VR games aren't all about horror. It depends on what you choose. Choice is everything. Like, say, if you pick a rose, maybe it means a date. But if you choose a steel scrubber, well... ahem. Never mind." He almost slipped up. The girls didn't quite catch what he meant, but that didn't stop them from prying. "You sure know how to use layered meanings to dodge a question," Yukino said, eyebrow raised. Utaha, on the other hand, fixated on a particular point."What exactly does the steel scrubber represent?" Haru thought to himself: Kidneys... and incontinence. But on the outside, he played dumb. The more evasive he became, the more curious Yukino grew."Steel scrubbers are used to clean dishes. They're good at removing grime, but they have plenty of downsides too." Utaha followed along instinctively."So he's talking about... cleaning? No, that doesn't sound like him." Yukino frowned. "I'm not sure either." Haru strolled ahead, expression cool and unbothered. As long as he didn't explain, they couldn't possibly piece it together—at least, not enough to condemn him. When they arrived at the VR center, he offered,"You two go check out the equipment. I'll talk to the staff." Utaha pulled out her wallet. "My treat. I made a decent amount from my latest book, and you did help promote it." He waved her off. "No need. I've got this." Seeing him so insistent, Utaha didn't push further and happily went off with Yukino to inspect the gear. Once they were out of sight, he leaned over to the staff member—a young woman—and whispered,"Could you set up something... particularly scary?" The employee blinked in surprise."Are your friends okay with that kind of thing?" Haru smiled. "Oh, absolutely. They're very brave." The woman chuckled, covering her mouth."Trying to scare them, huh? Some customers do that, but it doesn't always end well. Girls don't tend to like it." "Just give me the scariest one you've got." After settling payment and confirming the setup, he headed inside. The venue was mostly empty—probably because it was still working hours. The only ones inside were Yukino and Utaha, who were deep in discussion about the equipment. From his angle, he could only see their backs. Both girls wore their school uniforms and had sleek black hair, yet the impression they gave was completely different. Yukino's frame was slender and graceful, her skin pale as porcelain. The black curtain of her hair brushed against her waist, lending her an almost ethereal allure. Utaha, on the other hand, had a fuller figure—every curve in the right place. Her pronounced waist-to-hip ratio, emphasized by her snug black tights, was practically a weapon of mass destruction against any man. That's why I especially love it when she leans against the wall, Haru thought. Then again... Yukino's flexibility is top-tier. That girl could probably pull off a perfect split. While his thoughts drifted into dangerous territory, the two girls noticed him and turned. "All set?" Yukino asked. "Yup. Who wants to go first? Or you could go together—there's enough gear." "Let's go together," Yukino replied, not thinking much of it. She had a mild curiosity about VR—mostly from the novelty. She figured she'd be bored of it soon enough, so there was no need to experience it separately. Utaha had no objections either. With help from the staff, both girls put on their VR headsets. He stood by the side and discreetly opened his phone, switching it to video mode. The employee happened to notice this and let out a helpless laugh. Sir, you really have no shame. Haru pretended not to see her. His motto was simple: Go big or go home. The greater the risk, the greater the reward.