Chapter 153 - 153 – Let’s Speak Chinese

After finishing their workout, the girls took turns heading to the shower. Utaha didn't mind sharing a bath with all three of them—but Yukino did. So in the end, only she and Megumi soaked together. The two girls sat on opposite ends of the bathtub. Steam swirled thickly throughout the bathroom, blurring their outlines. Even though neither of them tried to cover up, the steamy veil obscured the picturesque view. Having just wrapped up the arrangements for the sleepover, Utaha was in a great mood."I think I overdid it today… my legs are definitely going to be sore tomorrow." Megumi didn't reply. That made Utaha glance at her curiously. "Why aren't you saying anything?" "I was just thinking… during the workout earlier, my breathing felt more in sync than usual." Megumi's voice paused slightly—she didn't sound entirely sure of her own words. "Really?" Utaha didn't think much of it. Megumi tilted her head thoughtfully. "Maybe I imagined it. I mean, even if exercising improves your fitness, it's not like you'd see results this fast." "Then it's probably just your imagination," Utaha replied lazily, reclining against the tub. After sweating buckets during the workout, being able to soak in a warm bath like this was pure bliss. Even better—she got to stay over again tonight. Meanwhile, in the living room. Yukino shifted uncomfortably on the couch, casting a glance toward the bathroom. She'd also broken quite a sweat earlier, and her body felt annoyingly sticky. Haru had plopped down directly on the cool floor after his own workout. "If you don't feel like waiting, you can just go in now, you know." "I have plenty of patience," Yukino replied crisply. "You're all girls—what's there to be shy about when bathing together?" Haru asked casually. Yukino went quiet. Of course she wasn't shy. She just didn't want to see Utaha showing off her massive bust again. That time she'd said, 'Do you really need to cover something that's not even there?'—Yukino still remembered that line vividly. Even if she'd never cared much about that kind of fat and thought it was trivial, being mocked directly to her face was another matter entirely. If she went in to bathe with them now, Utaha would definitely stare when she changed. And odds were, she'd toss out another snide remark. Yukino wasn't afraid of confrontation—but she wasn't about to waste energy on something so utterly pointless. "What do you want to do after the baths?" Haru asked, stretching lazily on the floor. "Watch a bit of TV, then rest," Yukino answered matter-of-factly. "I bet they won't sleep that early." "Fair enough. Then I'll stay up a bit too." Haru chuckled. "What, are you going into watchdog mode now?" Yukino's expression didn't change. "Neither senpai nor Megumi are worth watching over." Haru opened his mouth, paused—then stared. "Wait… don't tell me… you're planning to supervise me?" Yukino gave him a slight, knowing smile. "What do you think?" Haru fell back onto the floor in mock despair. "I've been on my best behavior today. Even when senpai came over earlier, I managed to talk her into working out instead." "Oh, so that was you? I knew something felt off—she's not the type to work out, especially when Megumi and I weren't even in the room yet. She was alone with you in the living room." So that explained Yukino's earlier suspicion. "See? I wasn't lying," Haru said, seizing the moment for credit. Yukino shot him a glance. "It only proves that—for now—you've managed to keep your head on straight. Doesn't mean it'll stay that way." "That's not a very fair assessment." "Then tell me," Yukino said without pause. "Before you talked her into working out—what did senpai come to you for?" No subtlety, no holding back—just a straight shot. Haru's voice turned a little strange. "…I don't think you actually want to know." "But I'm curious," Yukino said, almost absentmindedly. Two seconds of silence. Haru weighed his words carefully, then replied slowly,"She wanted to learn… finger techniques." "Finger techniques? In what context?" Yukino immediately recalled his remarkable massage skills. "…I've got this self-taught move called the Tidecaller. She seemed pretty interested in that." "Tidecaller? What's that supposed to mean?" Faced with Yukino's curious, inquisitive gaze, Haru hesitated. "If I tell you the truth… you can't get mad, alright?" Yukino suddenly leaned back warily. Her once relaxed posture turned upright; her slender legs pressed tightly together. "I have a feeling this isn't something decent." Her tone was flat, but her eyes locked onto his. "You can sugarcoat it. I'm smart enough to read between the lines." "…Still bragging, even now. That's so you," Haru muttered under his breath, but took her advice. He went with the gentlest version he could think of."Put simply… she wanted to learn chantless water magic." "…?" "Tidecallers need extremely refined technique. If they want to cast water magic without chanting, well… I'm the only teacher available." "…???" By the time Utaha and Megumi emerged from the bath, Yukino still hadn't figured out what "chantless water magic" was supposed to mean. Haru felt he'd already been subtle enough, and refused to explain further. Yukino glared at him, dissatisfied, then grabbed her clothes and went off to shower. "What should we play next?" Utaha asked as she sat down with a blow dryer, glancing back at the others. "Great question," Haru replied. "Yukino and I were just talking about that." Seeing both girls in soft, loose robes with their cheeks still flushed from the bath, Haru tactfully averted his gaze and focused on the fat cat in his lap. Utaha had long since gotten used to being casual around him, so she paid it no mind. Megumi, on the other hand, kept her usual calm expression, but her slightly stiff gait betrayed her awkwardness. So Haru, like a gentleman, respectfully kept his eyes in check. Because if he didn't… things might escalate in ways that would require even more "respectful adjustments." Before Yukino came out of the bathroom, the three of them had decided on their entertainment for the night—games. When Yukino returned, she found Haru holding a laptop and several game controllers. "You guys playing something?" she asked casually. Utaha, brushing her silky hair, smiled. "To be precise—I wanted to play something with you." Yukino gave her a sidelong glance. "Is this another one of your competitive streaks flaring up?" Megumi, checking the controllers, looked up and clarified, "Amamiya-kun suggested a co-op game. There's no winner or loser." Utaha nodded. "Exactly. He mentioned you two beat It Takes Two together. I think, 'I can do it too.'" "I refuse," Yukino said flatly, without a hint of hesitation. With that, she went to dry her hair. Utaha blinked, then turned to Haru. "What's her deal?" After thinking for a moment, Haru replied, "She probably doesn't want to role-play a broken couple with you." Then he briefly summarized the game's premise. Utaha frowned. "Wait, so I'd be playing a failing wife with her? Yeah, no thanks. Pick something else." Then something occurred to her—she eyed Haru and Megumi suspiciously. "Hold on. If it's a two-player game… that means if I'm paired with Yukino, you two would be playing together?" Yukino's hair-drying paused. A mocking smile tugged at her lips. Finally realizing your teammate's not exactly reliable, senpai? Haru raised both hands innocently. "I never said that." Megumi's face flushed at the word "couple," but her tone remained calm."I'm fine just watching you guys play." Utaha frowned deeper, clearly unsettled by the pairing implications. Eventually, after flipping through options with Haru's help, they chose Overcooked. It was a well-known co-op game packed with frantic mini-levels, multiplayer modes, even boss fights. But most players ended up overwhelmed, making the game more about chaos and laughs than actually completing stages. Many jokingly called it Breakup Kitchen. With Haru and Megumi in the spectator seats, Utaha and Yukino grabbed controllers. After a short learning phase, the two quickly got the hang of the mechanics. Haru had expected that, given their brains. But before long, the two elegant beauties had entered a heated debate… over cooking. It was like watching a real-time gaming livestream. Except, unlike the usual streamers, their argument was incredibly articulate. The only difference is that the two of them argue very logically, quoting classics and famous quotes at every turn. "The greatest minds find virtue in simplicity. So, senpai, can you explain why you're overcomplicating something so basic?" "Ah, but haven't you heard? It's only in adversity that one's soul truly shines." "So even if there's no difficulty… you're creating artificial hardship?" "Twisting someone's words like that—isn't that a bit much?" Watching the fireworks unfold, Haru leaned in and whispered to Megumi,"…This is kind of terrifying. We won't be like that when we play, right?" Feeling his breath tickle her cheek, Megumi's face turned slightly pink, but her voice remained soft and steady."Don't worry. I'll cooperate with you seriously." "Glad to hear it." Haru nodded. In moments like these, Megumi was definitely the more reliable one. "What are you two whispering about?" Utaha had noticed their murmuring but hadn't caught the content. Yukino also threw them a suspicious glance. Haru replied with a straight face, "We're speaking Chinese." "…What?" ×2 "I'm teaching Megumi Chinese. If you two are interested, we can all switch to Chinese now. What do you say?" "Absolutely not." ×2 Both girls rejected the idea simultaneously, then exchanged looks—eyes lighting up with rivalry. "Shall we continue?" Utaha pointed at the screen. "Of course," Yukino accepted without hesitation. The battle resumed. Meanwhile, Megumi gently tugged at Haru's sleeve and whispered,"You promised to teach me Chinese, It's a deal" "…Huh?"